I have been a Christian for eight years and in that time I have done Bible studies and many times I have glanced at Bible Alive, but never bothered with them. Today I have got one and even though the readings do not begin until November, I have read the first few daily reflections and I have been reading your articles on prisoners. I felt while reading that Jesus was telling me to write and this may be a long letter, so please bear with me.
I have been in and out of prison all my life and at the age of sixteen I began drinking and committing crime. At the age of fifty I committed my last crime. Between the ages of sixteen and fifty, the world has passed me by. I had not grown up properly or matured in life, in all my activities I was behaving like a child.
At the age of fifty, while on remand, I was reading about a lady who was a recovering alcoholic, and she spoke about what God had done for her. At this time anything to do with God or Christianity was a load of rubbish, but at this moment in time I had no family, no one in the world wanted me, except the judges in the Crown Court, but I had nothing at all, and while still reading this story, I put the book down and with a cry of desperation I said from my heart, ‘God, please give me what this lady has got!’
Within seconds a warm feeling began at the top of my head and spread right through my body to the tip of my toes, and all my worries and fears just left, and in that prison cell I just felt free. I looked at the cell door and I thought, I could tear that door off its hinges. What a thought, I thought later, those doors are solid metal, I could not make it squeak even. But I found out some time later, this is the power of the Holy Spirit who could tear those doors off, and I also realized later, Jesus will not appear to me face to face, but his Spirit would give me something as well as freedom that would stay with me. When I read now in the Bible, ‘their chains fell off’, I for one know they did.
In court I got 2 1/2 years and a 7-year extended licence. I have been recalled twice in that time for a non-criminal offence. Jesus played a part in both of these recalls, this I fully believe. Remember I said, between the ages of sixteen and fifty I had not grown up or matured? Well, there are things in life I needed to learn in order to succeed outside and I have learned a lot of things in this prison, because I wanted to: at one time I could not save money at all, now I save regularly, which is how I came to get this typewriter and other things I have bought.
In the Bible Alive, I was interested in the prison facts, but there is a fact you missed. There are around 40,000 recalls in the system and around 90 per cent are in for a non-criminal offence, just a breach. 12,000 prisoners were recalled last year. So recalls cover half of the prison population and it’s the probation service who controls recalls. They (that is the press) keep telling the courts to stop sending people to prison, but it’s not the courts, it’s the probation service. I am not having a go at the system, those days are over, just completing your fact pages.
Being a recovering alcoholic, the first thing after I got my faith I had to do was get the thought of alcohol out of my brain and the first thing I did was to get shut of my TV and I got stuck into Bible studies, poetry and letters to Christian friends – I shall include a couple of poems later.
You see, between the ages of sixteen and fifty, in my mind I was drunk in prison with just the thought of alcohol and as soon as I got out the gate, I went for the real thing. But last time I was sober, praise the Lord, for he is so wonderful.
I watched a programme on Channel 4 last night called My Mum, Heroin and Me and this young lady agreed to let them film twelve months of her life and she was a heroin addict. Her mother was the only person who stuck by her. This girl is twenty-one and is still an addict and she has been in rehabs, but there is one ingredient missing and that is Jesus.
All my life I always had an empty feeling in my stomach and I was always searching for what I did not know: that empty feeling is not there anymore. Jesus filled it, praise the Lord. Today in prison I am happy, because I have Jesus in my heart and I also have freedom.
Over thirty years ago I met a vicar in Dartmoor prison and you have all heard of him, Canon Noel Proctor, and he offered me this freedom then and I used to think he was drunk, ha ha. We write to each other regularly, he is my best mate, ha ha.
Why did Jesus tell me to write to you? I do not know, but he knows I love talking. Before Jesus came into my life, I could not speak as I was always telling lies, today I only speak honestly to anyone and everyone. And I am happy when I speak the truth.
I have done forty-two years in and out of prison and in that time I have seen a lot of people find God. At the time, I would think or say, ‘They are after parole’ or ‘They are working their ticket’, for if you could not see it, then I would not believe: well, that was my excuse.
I cannot see God today, but I can feel his presence and I will never forget those words he put into my mind: ‘I could tear that door off its hinges’. That I could not do, but the Holy Spirit of Jesus can do anything.
I have been rabbiting on for some time now, but not much longer as I don’t want to bore you and I know you are very busy and lovely people and I will leave you there. Please take very good care of yourselves and please keep up the lovely work that you do as I do know a lot of people benefit from this.
All the very best for now,
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Stephen Wignall

God's Way

The things I do for others,
I do solely from my heart,
for when I met Jesus, it was then I made a brand new start.
Life is for living and helping anyone you can,
and if you want to feel joy
and goodness in your heart,
then help your fellow man.
We all make mistakes, but we can quickly put them right,
by seeking forgiveness from Jesus day or night.
Praise the Lord’s name
and sing it out loud
with joy in your voice,
for Jesus died for your freedom and to give you a choice.
People are struggling
each and every day,
Will you show them kindness and teach them the Lord’s way?
The world is in a crisis and we must all help one another,
treat everyone you meet
as a sister or brother.
Words are very easy and actions are very easy too,
try saying ‘Good morning’ to a stranger unknown to you.
For he or she may be feeling down and your kind words
could brighten their day,
and Jesus will be smiling,
for you are doing things
God’s way.

Rehabilitated Man

Today I would like to help anyone that I can.
For I can say in all honesty that I am a rehabilitated man.
I used to be like
a wolf among chickens
who never stopped to think,
but was my behaviour all down to the demon drink?
I never owned anything
of value as a child
and so I stole what I could.
Every day instead of school,
I was up to no good.
Alcohol made me happy and relaxed and I was not shy,
I have never been one for violence, I would not hurt a fly.
My past life is gone, but I can put it all to good use,
telling others everything
I have done,
especially the alcohol abuse.
With some it will be lost,
but some will take heed,
what I am doing for Jesus
and myself is
daily I am planting a seed.
Communication about our experiences
is something we can all use,
always succeed in what you do, never allow yourself to lose.
Never take second best and always help one another,
treat everyone with respect and decency as if they are a sister or brother.
My past is behind me,
but not forgotten
and today I am not blind.
I am a positive and respectful person and I am very kind.
I am going to travel
and have holidays
and live the best I can,
my partner will be behind me every inch of the way
as I am
a rehabilitated man.