Prison Ministry Update: Why We Love Serving at One of The World’s Toughest Jails
Since 2016, I've been part of a prison ministry on a mission to shine the light of Jesus in the darkest of places.
Our team of trained volunteers regularly travels to two different maximum-security jails in Tecate, Mexico, bringing along our mobile vision clinic to perform vision tests on the inmates.
We offer the inmates complimentary eyeglasses and use the simple act of kindness as a springboard to share how they can receive forgiveness for their sins through faith in Jesus Christ.
One of the facilities we frequently visit is El Hongo, which is considered one of the world's toughest prisons.
El Hongo is located in the middle of nowhere in the Mexico desert, surrounded by cement walls and barbed wire, surveillance cameras, mobile phone jammers, and snipers on fifteen guard towers. It's a high-tech fortress designed to make it impossible for anyone to enter or exit without consent.
On my very first prison ministry trip with the vision clinic, we spent the day at El Hongo's "supermax'" wing. A crew from the Discovery Channel happened to be there as well, filming an episode of its popular series Behind Bars.
The particular episode tells the story of an inmate named Carlos, who had served 16 years of his 24-year sentence at the time of filming. Carlos was one of the men we performed vision tests on that day, and you can see our team at work in some of the scenes in the episode.
Our team was back at El Hongo for our most recent trip in February of 2025, this time to the maximum-security section.
Around 9 AM, per our usual schedule, our little caravan of vehicles finally arrives at El Hongo after a long drive across winding desert roads: one group from L.A. (we left town at 3 AM), one from San Diego, and one from Mexico.
We turn in our IDs to a correctional officer and are quickly cleared. (We always have to receive permission to visit the facility long in advance.)
We enter the massive bunker and are sent through sensors, metal detectors, and even an X-ray machine. Trained police dogs sniff us down; we're patted down by guards and led through multiple checkpoints while heavy metal doors slam shut behind us.
At each checkpoint, we receive an ink stamp on our underarms. The stamps are proof we're visitors from the outside - not inmates trying to fake a different identity - and without them, we wouldn't be able to get out of El Hongo.
Besides our equipment and supplies, which all have to be X-rayed and inspected, we can bring nothing inside the ten-foot walls other than the clothes on our back: our prison ministry attire consisting of green tee shirts (hoodies during winter), blue jeans, and sneakers.
Having made countless trips to El Hongo over the years, we know the protocol well.
We always do our best to cooperate with the guards to maintain a good relationship with them and the management. That way, we get to keep coming back.
After being led through endless corridors, we reach our assigned space for the day. We set up our equipment, boxes with eyeglasses, Christian tracts, and other materials. The guards pull back momentarily, and our twelve team members form a circle and pray for the day.
Armed guards with dogs then start to bring in the inmates in groups. Most of the prisoners are there for murder and/or kidnapping. They wear identical gray prison uniforms, their heads are shaved, and many are heavily covered with gang-related tattoos. Depending on the perceived threat posed by the inmates at the moment, they may also be shackled on hands and feet.
The inmates are always delighted to see us. Living in 10 x 12 feet cells shared by seven men, they welcome any opportunity to escape the dreariness and substandard conditions of their cages. Anything that offers a bit of change, even briefly, is excitedly received.
As we test the inmates' eyesight and distribute eyeglasses to those who need them (the majority do), we tell them about God’s love and mercy. They’re usually surprisingly receptive. Or maybe it isn't that surprising…
Most of these men have been incarcerated for years and have had ample time to think about their crimes.
Another thing is that our prison ministry has been serving the inmates in this particular penitentiary monthly for two decades. As a result, most of them have heard the gospel, and many are ready to receive Jesus.
Also, quite a few of the men have already come to faith while in jail. These prisoners now have their own Bibles and are allowed to meet up at designated times in the courtyard with other Christian inmates for Bible study. And as these men continue to boldly witness to fellow unsaved inmates, the life-changing power of the gospel keeps sweeping through the prison.
Our team hears some of the most touching stories from those who have come to know the Lord while at El Hongo.
These prisoners are experiencing true freedom in their hearts for the first time - despite being locked up, many without hope of ever getting out.
We try to encourage these new Christians, reminding them that God cares deeply for them. We take prayer requests and/or pray for them on the spot. As for those who aren't believers yet, we tell them about the Lord. We give them tracts, Bibles, and - to those who express the desire - an opportunity to pray to receive Jesus as Savior.
Tears flow freely as the inmates talk about their regrets. About wasted opportunity, family who have turned their backs on them, and an overwhelming urge to set things right.
The Christians among them love to share about their eternal hope and desire to make a positive difference within the prison walls in whatever way they can.
One young inmate I chatted with on our last prison visit, who’d given his life to God while at El Hongo, couldn’t stop talking about how he wanted to become a traveling missionary when he got out.
Whenever we visit the jails in Mexico, those on our team who don't speak Spanish are each assigned a translator: a bilingual inmate whose task is to translate for us while we interact with all the Spanish-only-speaking prisoners.
Because this translator sits with us for many hours, as we perform vision tests on one inmate after the other, we usually get to know him a little.
On our most recent prison ministry trip, my translator was 33-year-old Jorge. He had been convicted of murder and was 11 years into a 25-year sentence.
Jorge shared his story with me of having accidentally killed someone in a fight, not knowing until three days later that the man had died from internal injuries. He was then allegedly framed by the system and sentenced not for manslaughter but first-degree murder.
It’s a tragic story, yet not an uncommon one in a country where corruption permeates every level of society. Jorge was, however, in surprisingly good spirits. He didn't seem angry or vengeful. "Everything happens for a reason," he said softly.
I couldn't help but think that perhaps the reason was that, at El Hongo, Jorge had come to know Jesus Christ.
As our team made its way out of the high-security bunker seven hours later, hauling our equipment behind us, we'd served a total of 101 inmates. As was always the case on these trips, we were exhausted but exhilarated.
Yet again, God had delivered. He'd touched so many hearts - and ours as much as the inmates'!
Oh yes, God's light is strong enough to penetrate the darkest places. In fact, the thicker the darkness, the more powerfully His glory has the opportunity to shine. We see this vividly whenever we visit the prisons...
And this is why we keep going back inside those walls.
L.B.
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For the Discovery Channel episode mentioned above, click here: Behind Bars: The World's Toughest Prisons - El Hongo, Tecate, Mexico
Please note: the images are for illustration purposes only and are not an exact representation of the individuals or locations referenced in the article.
