• Contact Congregation 2-4

• Correspondence With the Branch Office 5-7

• Communication With Prison Officials 8

• Referrals and Contact With Prisoners 9

• Ministry 10-16

  • Literature 10-12

  • Reporting Activity 13-14

  • Reporting Baptisms 15

  • Publishers Who Transfer to Another Facility 16

• Conducting Meetings 17-20

  • Memorial 19

  • Extended Meetings 20

• Inmates Serving in an Appointed Capacity 21

• Conducting Judicial Hearings With Inmates 22

1. One or more prisons may be located within the congregation’s assigned territory. Though visits to prisoners are often restricted, it may be possible for publishers to receive permission from prison authorities to visit individuals who have requested spiritual help. (Matt. 5:3) The guidelines in this chapter may apply to other facilities where access to the general public is not allowed.

2. The branch office will assign one or more congregations to serve as contact congregations to take the lead in following up initial interest and in caring for the long-term spiritual needs of prisoners who study the Bible and become Jehovah’s Witnesses.

3. The Congregation Service Committee of the contact congregation selects qualified, baptized, adult publishers to participate in this feature of the ministry. (Matt. 10:16) The service overseer takes the lead in coordinating their work. If needed, qualified publishers from nearby congregations may be included if approved by their service committees. Appropriate portions of this chapter should be shared orally with publishers approved to participate in this aspect of the ministry.

4. If a congregation is unable to continue to serve as the contact congregation, the service committee should send a letter to the Service Department providing the reason. If the brothers know of another congregation that is willing to serve in their place, the letter should be approved by both service committees. The branch office will indicate in writing whether or not the recommendation is approved.

5. The congregation secretary is responsible for sending correspondence to the Preaching Needs Desk in the Service Department regarding the work at the facility. The complete name and address of the prison should always be included in the correspondence. If there is a need to communicate about the spiritual needs of a specific prisoner, include his name and identification number, if known.

6. The Prison Information (S-68) form is used to submit updated information to the Service Department regarding facilities. If several different yards or units are in the facility, a separate form for each unit should be submitted.

7. For direction regarding an inmate who has been accused of child abuse and who is now associating with a congregation, see Chapter 14, paragraphs 9 and 27.

8. A pleasant, persistent approach is often successful. Elders should keep appointments with inmates and officials and adhere to the regulations of the institution. When proof of ordination as a minister is required, the elders should write an official letter using the congregation’s letterhead. The letter should clearly identify the individual as an ordained minister of the congregation, state the date of his or her ordination (baptism), and be signed by the Congregation Service Committee. If the letter is not accepted by a facility, the elders may write to the Service Department for further direction, including a copy of the letter that was rejected.

9. When the contact congregation receives a referral from the branch office, the service overseer should follow up promptly. He may be able to provide literature and assign qualified publishers to visit regularly and, if possible, conduct one-on-one or group studies at the facility. If personal contact is not possible, perhaps a qualified publisher approved by the Congregation Service Committee could be assigned to correspond with a prisoner. Sisters should correspond only with female prisoners and brothers should correspond with male prisoners. The return address of the Kingdom Hall or another appropriate address may be used instead of the publisher’s home address in order to protect the privacy of the publisher. However, the return address of the branch office should not be used.

10. Literature: It is preferred that a prisoner initiate requests for visits or literature through publishers approved to visit the facility or by making a request directly to the branch office. This allows the individual to give evidence of his genuine interest and may assist publishers in being granted access to the facility. If needed, the secretary of the contact congregation may contact the Preaching Needs Desk in the Service Department on behalf of the inmate. For example, some facilities do not allow visitors to bring literature to inmates but do permit the branch office to mail literature to the person. Disfellowshipped inmates may obtain literature (including special-request items) upon request. Basic publications may also be provided for the library at such facilities.

11. When a facility permits publishers to deliver literature to inmates, the congregation should request it as part of the regular congregation literature request.

12. Only literature from the Teaching Toolbox and publications needed for congregation meetings should be provided, depending on the needs of Bible students. Special-request items should generally be provided only for baptized publishers, unbaptized publishers, and those who are progressing well in their studies. (See 28:10.) In such cases, the elders of the contact congregation will request these items. Special consideration can be given to those who suffer from impaired vision or when there are other extenuating circumstances.

13. Reporting Activity: Placements, video showings, and Bible studies conducted in a prison should be reported by publishers in the usual manner. Even if many attend a Bible study being held in a prison, one study is counted for the month and one return visit is counted each time the study is conducted. While field service time is not counted for conducting or participating in congregation meetings held in prison, pioneers may report hour credit for such activity. (See 9:11-13.) Non-pioneers should be shown extra consideration for their participation in this form of service.​—See 23:24-25.

14. Unbaptized or baptized publishers who are inmates should be counted as publishers in the contact congregation, and their field service reports should be included in the congregation report.

15. Reporting Baptisms: The contact congregation should inform the Service Department of baptisms performed in a prison if the circuit overseer did not already do so in connection with a circuit assembly.

16. Publishers Who Transfer to Another Facility: When an inmate is transferred to another facility, the Congregation’s Publisher Record (S-21) and a letter of introduction should be sent to the contact congregation caring for that facility.

17. Extensions of regular congregation meetings can be established when at least one baptized or unbaptized publisher will attend regularly. The attendance should be included with the contact congregation’s meeting attendance. The manner in which meetings are conducted in prisons must, as closely as possible, mirror the manner in which meetings are conducted at the Kingdom Hall. Disfellowshipped individuals should be treated the same as they would be at the meetings at the Kingdom Hall.

18. Only qualified elders and ministerial servants should conduct meetings in prison. These brothers could be selected from the contact congregation or from a neighboring congregation. (See 28:21.) If appointed brothers are not available, the inmates could meet as a group to view a recording of the meeting or to consider the material together. If an inmate who has been accused of child abuse attends meetings in prison or otherwise associates with a congregation, see Chapter 14, paragraphs 9 and 27.

19. Memorial: Every effort should be made to arrange for a qualified elder or a ministerial servant to conduct the Memorial. If this is not possible, the inmates may be able to view a recording of the talk or they could discuss the Bible account at Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-23, 28-30; and 1 Corinthians 11:20-31. (w93 2/1 p. 31) Memorial attendance figures should be added to the total congregation count.

20. Extended Meetings: Some facilities allow for an annual or semi-annual meeting at which the inmates are able to meet together for a longer period of time than is usual. This could be a fine opportunity for baptisms, reviews of assembly and convention programs, and so forth. Such extended meetings should not include arrangements in which congregation publishers, especially members of the opposite sex, are able to mingle freely with the prisoners. It may be that inmates are allowed to invite family members to attend an event. However, experience has shown that it is best for those of the opposite sex, even though related to prisoners, not to be invited to such meetings. Rather, invitations should be extended only to those who will share in the program; volunteers who participate regularly in witnessing at the prison; and possibly a few responsible, experienced ones who would be able to encourage and shepherd the inmates so that an excellent witness is given. Elders in the circuit or from nearby congregations who have presented assembly or convention parts could be invited to present this information along with the parts presented by the local elders. The invitation process should be closely monitored by the elders responsible for caring for the prison witnessing.

21. While inmates who make spiritual progress may qualify to be baptized, they do not qualify to serve as ministerial servants or elders while in prison. (1 Tim. 3:2, 7, 10; Titus 1:6, 7) They also do not qualify to serve as auxiliary or regular pioneers. Of course, if an appointed person in the congregation is imprisoned for maintaining his Christian integrity, the body of elders may determine that he can continue serving in an appointed capacity even while imprisoned.

22. When a judicial committee endeavors to meet with an incarcerated accused wrongdoer, the secular authorities may not allow all three members to meet with him at the same time. If so, a judicial committee should not handle the case over the telephone by means of a conference call or a videoconference. The elders should endeavor to arrange for two members of the committee to meet with him in person in a confidential setting. Others should not be present when the accused person is interviewed. Afterward, the two brothers would discuss the case with the third member of the committee, and the judicial committee may then render a decision. Two members of the judicial committee should inform him of the decision. If he is disfellowshipped, the elders should inform him of his option to appeal, and so forth. If the authorities allow only one elder at a time to speak with him, the judicial committee should decide in advance what questions to ask. Then two on the judicial committee should talk with him separately and ask the same questions. Thereafter, the judicial committee should convene to make a decision. In unusual cases, contact the Service Department.