Nearly two million people are incarcerated in the United States today. Of that number, approximately 255,000 are incarcerated within the Pacific Union Conference.
Many times throughout the Bible, Jesus asked his disciples to “remember those who are in prison” (Hebrews 13:3), and to “visit prisoners” (Matthew 25:34-40). He even demonstrated the importance of prison ministry by saving a condemned prisoner as he hung dying on a cross (Luke 23:42-43).
What We Do
Prison Ministries of the Pacific Union Conference seeks to inform, encourage, and support churches and church members regarding the need and opportunities to share the love of Jesus with incarcerated individuals and their families. We provide information and training to equip them to better serve our community members behind bars.
We do this through:
- Training and education
- Resources
- Support
- Connections
Why We Do What We Do
Experience has shown that leading Bible studies with incarcerated individuals has:
- Improved our own biblical knowledge
- Increased our ability to apply scripture to our lives
- Provided a desire to love other people more
- Grown our patience and compassion
Our Goals
As of 2026, less than 10% of churches in the Pacific Union Conference have members who participate in ministry to prisoners and their families. Prison Ministries leadership would love to see that number triple by 2030.
Be Part of What We Do
We should not ignore the mission fields that are plentiful in each of our local conference territories. If you are interested in being part of this ministry to those in prison and their families, check with your local churches to see if any are already involved, and if not, check with your conference and then the Union.
About the Director
In 1982 a friend invited Byron West to visit a prisoner and he agreed. About 18 months later, West became a volunteer chaplain at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California. He continued there for nearly three decades and afterward transitioned to two prisons in Southern California. In 2021, West became the Prison Ministries volunteer director for the Pacific Union Conference.