By C1 Staff
SALEM, Ore. — After 30 years as a corrections officer at the Oregon State Penitentiary, Jerry Marshall is sharing his experiences in a book of devotions that he hopes will be available in prison libraries across the country.
“Just a Closer Walk,” according to the Statesman Journal, was published by Abbot Press in November.
The idea for the book came about when Marshall was writing about a particular incident with an inmate that brightened his day during a period of time when the prison was seeing a lot of riots and fights.
“Together, in the midst of turmoil and violence surrounding us, we held a brief time of fellowship -- yes a worship service,” he writes.
The book is only one-third about prison experiences; other sections include Biblical gleanings and experiences, from a divorce to the death of his diabetic son at age 26. The book is strung together with Biblical messages and spiritual insights.
“I’ve read a lot of devotionals, but a lot of it is fluff,” says Marshall. “There is no fluff in mine.”