Ministries of Long Island Youth Mentoring

King's Courier

A pen pal prison ministry to young people in jail

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
(Matthew 25:34-40)

King's Courier is a pen pal prison program to incarcerated young men and women between the ages of 16-25. This letter-writing ministry helps to bring the light of Christ into the prison system and provides hope for the inmate through a caring relationship with a committed mentor. The young people with whom the mentors correspond are most likely serving sentences of no less than 2 years in an upstate New York facility, usually for a serious crime or multiple offences. Mentors agree to write weekly and all pen pal prison letters are channeled through the Youth Mentoring office so there's no need to give out your address. This is a simple yet meaningful way to serve the Lord.

If you think about a time that you were away from home as a young person, like at camp or away at school, and remember how important letters from home were to keep you conncted, you have an idea of how these kids respond to their mail from pen pal prison mentors. Knowing that someone cares is often a unique and life changing experiance for these kids

If you are a Christian over the age of 21 and believe that God may be calling you to this pen pal prison ministry, please send us your contact information. We will join you in considering this call and will provide all the training and support that is necessary. 

*Pictures on this site are for illustration only. They are pictures of children and adult who are connected with the ministry in one way or another, but not necessarily connected with the stories. For instance, the boys in the above picture have not been to jail.