OVER TWO DECADES AGO, as I stood in the United States Supreme Court being sentenced to 5 years in prison by honorable Judge McCarthy, his last words to me were, “Mr. Morey, I want you to take these next 5 years in prison and learn how to come out a productive member of society.” Those words to this day have never left me. As I stood there, I realized I had no understanding of what it meant to be a productive member of society. After being in and out of jails, prisons, and rehabs for most of my life, I knew I had to try. While in prison this last time, I did everything in my power to change. I learned new things, was involved in different vocational programs, even attended bible studies. I made many salvation professions. However, I quickly came to realize, these changes were making me a better inmate, not a productive member of society. Upon release I realized that nothing changed in me. The system, the correction officers, counselors, religion, and programs had failed to teach me how to be a productive member of society – just as all other times throughout my life being in a variety of systems (jails, prisons, boy’s homes, mental hospitals, rehabs). Unfortunately soon after my release things started to fall apart, and I was on my way back to the life I knew.
A YEAR AFTER I WAS SAVED (2011), I knew the Lord was calling me into some form of ministry; but quickly realized it was going to be on God’s timing. I have been in training, under the guidance of my pastor, for the past ten years. Five years after I was saved, in April 2016, in the parking-lot of the Allegany County jail, God put a burden on my heart for those in jails and prisons (Isaiah 61:1). I knew that the Lord called me to preach the Word to these individuals and show them there is hope for them and they could have a changed life like I have.
WHAT WE DO – the calling of Liberty Behind Bars is to reach those who feel alone and believe there is no God willing to save their soul by sharing the gospel with them; to show them there is a God, and He is faithful and just to forgive them. Our goal is to reach those behind bars locally and nationwide to show them there can be liberty from others, and more importantly liberty from themselves and sin. Before Covid-19 we taught in the jails 3-4 times a week, held private professional ministry visits, held in-home bible studies, and conducted individual/family counseling. However due to the closures, we now we spend countless hours returning letters to individuals (answering bible questions, counseling issues, prayer requests, etc.) though “snail-mail” and emails. We also hold video conferences with those behind bars; both locally and nationwide. The restrictions have been lessoning and therefore we have been back to making face-to-face visits. We provide nice “leather-touch,” King James Bibles, monthly devotionals, bible study material, and other doctrinal books to those in need.
BEING A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY – In the last 6 years of this ministry, I have witnessed many individuals returning back to jail or prisons due to lack of assistance when they got home. Individuals return back to the same environment, same “employment,” and quickly turn back to their addictions and old way of living. What we may think as a “normal productive member of society” looks much different in the eyes of the newly released inmate – who has lived his/her whole life as a non-productive member of society. These two concepts are worlds apart.
FUTURE INSIGHTS – The Lord pressed upon my heart and gave me a vision of “A Place of Refuge” (Isaiah 4:6). This facility would help transition these men and women coming out of the system into becoming productive, Christian members of society. At this facility, we would train individuals in areas of employment, housing, banking, family issues (marriage/parenting), addiction/recovery, and other Christian life skills.
Liberty Behind Bars Ministry has been formed with careful direction from the Lord and under the guidance of my local church (Black Creek Baptist Church). I trust the Lord my Saviour to continue to guide me though this journey of being able to reach and help others; others who have been though some of the same unfortunate experiences I have been through and are currently in the local prison system. (Hebrews 13:3 and 2Corinthians 1:3-4).