The Least of These

Restoring Hope, One Life at a Time

At The Least of These, Inc., we are committed to bringing faith, encouragement, and support to inmates seeking a fresh start. Many behind bars feel forgotten, but through Bibles, spiritual guidance, and personal connection, we remind them that they are seen, valued, and loved by God.

Inspired by Matthew 25:35-40, our mission is to meet inmates where they are—offering hope, answering their questions, and helping them grow in their faith. No one is beyond redemption, and every life has a purpose.

Bringing Light to Those Seeking Faith

When Lois had two family members in prison, in talking with them Lois learned what the inmates go through in prison. Most people have no idea what inmates go through and think they are provided everything. Unfortunately, this is not true. Inmates are provided with their first set of clothes, but if they want more, they must buy it themselves. Also, inmates are so hungry for the Lord. They have a void and don’t know how to fill it but in talking with other inmates, who are Christian, they learn what they are missing in their lives.

Inmates find out about us through other inmates and contact us. We send inmates Bibles and other books to help them grow spiritually. Inmates have so many questions about Jesus and God that they ask us. We answer the questions they ask and will send information to help them understand better. We strive to meet an inmate’s spiritual needs as well as their spiritual growth. This is achieved by sending an inmate a Bible, as well as other books to help with their spiritual growth and understand of books in the Bible.

An inmate will see a book or Bible another inmate has, ask where they got it from and tell him or her about us. They in turn will write us a letter asking for a book or Bible. When we send an inmate a Bible, we have their name embossed on it. This way no one can say it is someone else’s Bible. We encourage them to read their Bible every day. It doesn’t make any difference when, just to do it. Some like to read a chapter in the morning and a chapter before going to bed. It just depends on the individual when they read the Bible.

A Listening Ear, A Message of Hope

Inmates can also contact us through email, where some prisons have Jpay, which enables an inmate to email family or us. They also email us just talking about what is going on in their life and sometimes ask for advice in small matters. In so doing, they are able to gain our trust, which is very important to them. A lot of inmates have no one to talk with about trivial things in their lives, whether it be about a family pet who passed away, to their girlfriend or boyfriend dropped them, etc. This helps them feel part of a family, one they don’t have anymore.

We let them know Jesus went through everything in His life so He can identify with the issues we face in our lives. If someone has not been through what you have, they can not identify with you or understand what you are going through. We tell them Jesus has and He is always there for you. Once they give their life to Jesus they feel so much freedom from burdens in the past. Some inmates have deep questions about their life after receiving Jesus. We answer their questions to the best of our ability and tell them if they will make themselves available for Jesus, He will use them in a might way. This might be reaching other inmates, troubled youth, or any other area. There is no limit to what God can do.

Guiding the Journey to a New Beginning

When an inmate is about 6 months away from being released and they have no place to go, they will ask us if we can help them find a place to go to. So, we will search for a Christian based reentry program for them in their area. Prisons do not help the inmate prepare for release like a good reentry program does. Most of these programs help them to use a computer, cell phone, type up a resume, have a mock job interview, etc. All of this will help to ensure the inmate does not end up in prison again. We have reached inmates all across the U.S. and many keep in touch with us upon their release.

If you are interested in helping any inmate, please contact us and we will help put you in touch with someone who is hungry for someone to talk & write to.