Niven Neyland is a long-term supporter of Prison Fellowship Australia, an author, and a former inmate. We caught up recently to ask him why he thinks the Gospel is Good News for inmates.
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In prison, I met many men who were trapped in cycles of crime and despair, and ready to give up. But I saw many lives transformed through God’s Good News in Jesus Christ. Many of these men found the strength to walk a new path—one filled with purpose and faith. That’s the power of the Gospel. That’s the impact of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
I was a backsliding Christian when I went into prison – in fact, it was the very reason I went to prison. On my 35th birthday, one wrong decision changed the direction of my life. I had a few beers, drove a car, and my brother died in a car accident that I caused. From there, a wheel started rolling and didn’t stop for many months.
Fourteen months after the crash, I walked into a courtroom, convinced I was a good Christian who had turned my life around, and as such I didn’t deserve or need a prison sentence. I boldly prayed that day with my family, “Lord, your will be done today, yours above all else.” And it was, but not in the way I expected. I watched as the gavel came down, and I was sentenced to a minimum of 10 months in prison.
That sentence stopped me in my tracks, and I realised I still had work to do. I hadn’t turned my life around as much as I thought. Ultimately, I needed to recommit my life to Christ. I lost my business, I lost my brother, I lost a lot of money. But in the dark of prison, God met me with His mercy and love. He used my time behind bars to break, heal, and transform me.
By the time I walked into Pentridge Prison a few months later, I had apologised to the Lord, accepted the Good News of Jesus Christ anew, and started making gradual but significant changes to my life. A few weeks later, I asked my wife to bring me a small copy of the New Testament. Almost immediately, I felt the comfort of the Lord with me; just reading scripture was wonderful.
During my time in prison, God taught me many things, the biggest of which was not to judge others. I had many biases before I went to prison, and I judged inmates like the rest of society did. But then I found myself in prison, and I learnt so much more about inmates and how people end up in prison. I realised that I needed to see people as Jesus sees them and also to see myself as Jesus sees me. God blessed me and put me back on my feet.
As my reliance on God grew, I began running Bible studies for other inmates. I can’t convey the impact the Gospel of Jesus Christ has on people who are lost and broken. The guys who came to the Bible studies were swept away by the power of the Lord. These guys, who were in prison for some pretty horrible crimes, had tears in their eyes because the Word of the Lord was reaching their hearts. As we read scripture, and in particular the stories of Jesus’ life, you could see it bore down into their hearts. That was very encouraging for me!
Jesus said and did some incredible things in the Bible. He said, “Come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” There are people out of prison who need to accept rest from Christ, and there are plenty of people in prison who carry heavy burdens from their past. The Good News of the Gospel can remove those burdens and free you up. Once you give your life to Christ and the Holy Spirit starts working in your heart, He can take all the rubbish out of your heart and bring forgiveness and understanding. The Good News can put someone who has been the lowest of the low up to the highest of the high. The Good News of Jesus Christ isn’t just a bunch of words – it’s a lifestyle based on the Holy Spirit.
I met many guys who wanted to know that there was hope for change in their lives. They wanted assurance that they could be different from their fathers or uncles who had spent time in prison. You see, there is a generational curse around crime. I’ve seen it in action. One guy I still remember, Bernie* was 19 years old. He was so young, but already his body was covered in tattoos. One day, as I was reading my Bible, he wandered over and began asking about it. Over time, I learnt a bit more about Bernie. I learnt that his father had also spent time in prison, so I think it’s safe to assume that Bernie was a second or third-generation inmate. I felt very sad about that. I told him about the peace and joy the Lord gives you when you open your heart to Him. He didn’t say much, but I think it really struck him because a little while later, I overheard him say to his girlfriend over the phone, “I think I’m becoming a Christian.”
Now, I’m well aware that becoming a Christian doesn’t stop you from going inside. But the Lord does wonderful things and changes all sorts of hearts. I lost touch with Bernie after he was released from Dhurringile, but I like to imagine that when he committed his life to Christ, he broke that generational cycle of crime and started down a new path of hope and restoration. The Gospel is good news for broken people like Bernie.
One day, I was walking around the 700-metre track in the yard and quietly praising God when I suddenly heard a voice cursing and mumbling swear words behind me. I turned around to see the angriest man I’d ever seen – he just oozed anger. I prayed to God, and I slowed my pace enough for him to catch up. As he was about to lap me, I said gently, “Hi. Do you want someone to walk with?”
Without waiting for him to reply, I began to keep pace with him. As we walked the track together, the anger poured out of him like an endless torrent of hatred discharging from his heart. I had never seen someone so full of bitterness.
I often walked with him after that, and I made sure to say a few more gentle words to him. As Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Each time I saw him after that, I could see the anger slowly draining from his face. I can’t explain it better than this – it was as if I could see his normal face starting to show itself. Within a few months his face was shining like Moses’ when he came down from the mountain! I’ve never seen anything like it, and if I hadn’t seen this transformation for myself, I would not have believed it. This was a guy who wanted nothing to do with God initially, but he let God into his heart, and God transformed him. This is how the Lord works through us.
It doesn’t take much to show someone Jesus’ love. Just a simple coffee and a chat could make a real difference in their life. When I was in prison, Prison Fellowship volunteers like Ted O’Brien would visit me regularly. Ted was a lovely, gentle bloke, probably a few years older than me, who would visit me at 3 pm every Friday. We would have a cuppa and a Bible study. That’s all it was. Regular visits from Ted demonstrated the love of Christ for me and for all inmates. That’s why Prison Fellowship is so important – it ministers to people the rest of the world doesn’t want. Those visits, that intervention from Prison Fellowship, was so important in my life. When I got out, I was privileged to pour out some of the love I received from Prison Fellowship back into other inmates. That was a really rewarding experience. I’ve been involved with Prison Fellowship in a few different ways, including running courses and visiting inmates, and every single one of them has been a rewarding experience.
I saw so many lives transformed by the Good News of the gospel. I just love Prison Fellowship. As I volunteer myself, I know it’s easy to feel like you aren’t making an impact. But I want to encourage you that you are! You really are! Sometimes, it’s very difficult to see the depth of the impact we’re having, but a kind word or a short visit can make a huge difference in the life of someone who is hurting and struggling. I love being involved with Prison Fellowship, and I can’t see myself retiring from volunteering! It’s such a valuable ministry. Thank you to all the supporters and for all the support I’ve received over the years.
Niven Neyland
Niven has written a biography of his experiences in prison called Finding Myself Inside: When a Prison Sentence Becomes God’s Gift of Love.
