Jess Hansen answers God's call to "visit the prisoner" at Faulk Co. Jail in Faulkton, S.D.

"God talks about this in the Bible, and he tells you that you need to go into the prisons because, just like all lost lambs, that's what they are, and they are somebody that needs to be brought back into the group, that needs to be told, 'You're not worthless because of how you grew up or your circumstances.' There are so many things that can happen in one's life that turn you in a different direction."

Jess Hansen takes this call and command to "visit the prisoner" seriously because he knows the reality of life taking a different direction than he thought it would. A member of the United Methodist Church in Faulkton, South Dakota, Jess's story is one of God's redeeming work, using Jess's experience behind bars as a tool for connecting with inmates at the Faulk County Jail.

"Back in 1999, I got thrown in prison for stupidity. I don't necessarily want to go into all that because the past is the past, and I'm not that guy anymore," Jess said. "But I served 18 years and 10½ months of a 25-year sentence in the Sterling Correctional Facility in Colorado."

While there, Jess was invited to participate in the Kairos Prison Ministry.  "I will not say that I was somebody who was looking for God or Jesus or anything else," said Jess.  "When I joined the military, I kind of walked away from the church and everything."

That step back toward his faith through this ministry began a journey of healing and redemption in Jess' life. As he got more involved, he saw the transformative power of God at work in the lives of fellow inmates as well.

"We would go into the yard and find guys that were a little down or were new, and we would just come along beside them and say, 'How you doing.' We weren't pumping them with the Bible or anything. We were just talking to them," described Jess. "The more I was obedient, the more it was like I wasn't even in prison anymore."

That experience of freedom, even behind bars, made an unforgettable impression on Jess.

"One of the most powerful moments was the forgiveness ceremony," recalled Jess. "They have this huge jar of water on the table in the middle of the room, and we all surrounded it. They said, 'Take this piece of paper and a pen and write down everything everybody has done to you—people that have sinned against you—and the things that made your life worse.' Then they said, 'Now turn it over and write everything where you have sinned against other people, where you have done other people wrong.' Then, you put the piece of paper in the jar of water. It was dissolving paper, so by the time it gets about halfway down, it just starts to disappear."

"It was such a powerful ceremony. I saw guys there—we're talking real tough customers in prison—have tears just flowing from their eyes," said Jess.

The United Church of Faulkton is a committed partner in the ministry to inmates at the Faulk County jail.

The Holy Spirit began transforming Jess's life through powerful experiences like this. However, following his parole and return to his hometown, the witness and welcome of his local church continued this healing and redemptive impact.

 "I get [to church], and there's this guy named Jerry Fisher in our church, and he and his wife met me as I came into the church, and both of them hugged me and said welcome to church," shared Jess. "Jerry used to be my coach when I was in junior high and high school and he said, 'Keep your chin up. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. You come in here.' And I did, and my church has been very supportive of me."

"I can't even tell you how that—the church being open to people that are not necessarily this wonderful, normal person that's had a normal life—probably influenced me a lot in how I proceeded to do things," added Jess. "God just never gave up on me and kept sending people."

Some of those other people were Jess's pastor, Shawn Stoll, and another lay member of the church, Brent Koens, who happens to be the chief deputy sheriff in town. Pastor Shawn and Brent both encouraged and supported Jess in discerning and answering God's call to use the experiences of incarceration and the transforming power of Jesus Christ to reach and bless others.

"I was looking for people to help [with the jail ministry], and as my relationship with Jess developed and I discovered his own back story, his calling became clearer, and I encouraged him to get involved," recalls Pastor Shawn.  "He started coming in and was just a natural. He already spoke their language."

"I started out slow, and you know, just kind of went up there, and then all of a sudden, my minister said, 'You need to go to licensing school and become a [certified] lay minister, and so I did," said Jess.

Faulk County Jail houses those pending federal proceedings as well as local and county inmates. (Photo from Kyburz Carlson construction)

Now, Jess spends his Wednesday evenings bringing the light and love of Jesus to people whose stories have taken a difficult turn.

"The biggest thing that I do is listen," said Jess. "These guys have a story and need to talk to somebody who's not a jailer and not another prisoner. They need to talk to somebody about serious things in life."

"It's not about preaching to them, 'You did this wrong.' If they want to hear that, they could just talk to their fellow inmates in there. You gotta listen to them with the heart of God."

It is that humble posture and incarnational presence that has led to powerful moments of walking with inmates through things like losing both parents or facing a 25-year sentence as a mom of three young children.

"I want them to know that they are not forgotten, that I remember them. They're not alone," shared Jess. "I don't absolve them of their sins, I tell them, 'That's not my job. My job is to bring you closer to Christ, to let you see that there's a different way that you can do things.'"

"I've had some success in that, and I've had a few failures. But you know, all you can do is plant the seeds. A lot of times, I don't get to see the tree grow, but sometimes I do," shared Jess.

This ministry has blessed individual inmates' lives and also impacted the atmosphere of the jail.

"There has been a change in the overall behavior of the inmates," described Deputy Sheriff Koens. "They are more respectful towards staff and others. Most of the inmates are excited for the times they spend with Jess."

In addition to surrounding Jess with a community of love and forgiveness, his congregation has supported him in answering this call.

"Especially the older members who watched his story unfold, who knew him before and see him afterward, they're really seeing the redemptive work of God in their midst," described Pastor Shawn. "This church also has a history of training up people for ministry from within, and Jess is just another opportunity for them to partner with God in that."

The Faulkton United Church also partners with him in this mission. Taking up a special offering, the missions team purchasing Bibles for the ministry, and the women's group purchasing phone cards for inmates are a few of the tangible outpourings of a congregation invested in this work of God.

Chief Deputy Sheriff and lay member of the Faulkton United Church, Brett Koens, pictured receiving the Lions Club Community Service Award. Chief Deputy Koens has been a vital partner in the jail ministry.(Photo from Faulk Co. Sheriff's Office Facebook page.)

"Prison or Jail Ministry is an opportunity to reach those that are possibly in the lowest parts of their lives," said Brent. "It gives them the opportunity to know that they have someone who cares deeply about them.  It shows them that they have a future, and that gives them something to look forward to."

"The greatest thing that the church can do is to be open to all people and that includes the people coming out of prison," said Jess. "If you know somebody is coming out of prison and you see them, invite them to church. That's the biggest thing. Just open your doors and open your mind, and that will always be the love of God.  

Getting involved in this type of ministry to inmates also helps cultivate this value of invitation and hospitality toward previously incarcerated individuals.

"It's not for everybody to go behind the walls and the bars and to preach to these people," explained Jess. "If that is not what you can do, you can do something else. You can give encouragement to people like me to use the experience they've had in there to further other people. They might have never thought about it."

"You can also put money to [the ministry], and you can put prayers to it—I will take all the prayers I can get," said Jess.

Those prayers can also extend to the people that Jess and others in jail or prison ministry serve.

"We always end everything in prayer," added Jess. "You pray for them, their families, mercies from the courts, and various things they have going on. Then you pray for them on their journey to become closer to God, to find good people that are strong in the Lord, and to guide them closer and closer to him because that is what Christianity is—it's not a foot race; it's not a marathon; it's a journey."

For Jess, that journey will continue through this incarnational and transformative ministry.

"God just keeps sending people," said Jess. "He's never given up on me. So, my call is, if God's never given up on me, why should I give up on anybody else?"

*****

If you or your congregation are interested in learning more or starting a prison/jail ministry in your area, Jess and Brent would love to assist a church or jail facility with starting a program like this. You can call or write to Jess (1308 park St., Faulkton, S.D., 57438), call or email Brent or contact the Faulkton United Church for more information.