The Blount County Jail in Oneonta is offering voluntary baptisms to inmates as a way for them to help turn their lives around.
ABC 33/40 reported that Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon has partnered with Reedemed Ministries, which is run by a former convict who found faith and turned away from a life of crime, to start the program.
The first baptisms at Blount County Jail reportedly occurred Tuesday night, with 24 male inmates choosing to accept Jesus Christ in their lives.
Baptisms will also be offered to the female prison population at the jail in six months.
Moon told ABC 33/40 that baptism is “an outward showing” that an inmate is serious about seeking true forgiveness and rehabilitation.
The sheriff explained the thought process as, “This is who I was before I met Jesus Christ, and now, I’m dead and I’m buried. My old self is gone, and I’m resurrected new. And I’m somebody totally different in Jesus.”
Moon emphasized that inmates are free to practice whatever religion they choose — or none at all.
ABC 33/40 added that 29 female inmates in the Walker County Jail chose to get baptized this week at that facility. These inmates are part of a weekly Bible group that totals 67 female inmates in that county’s jail.
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Yellowhammer News has previously reported on other Alabama correctional facilities offering baptisms and various voluntary faith-based services, including at Calhoun County Jail and Bibb County Correctional Facility.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
