Volume 12 Issue 02

JANUARY 2011
JPM Newswire
I was in prison and you visited me – Matt. 25:36b

Jeremiah Prison Ministry

We are serving him by serving them! ”His mercy endures forever” Psalm 106:1

Let it snow, Let it snow…. NOT!

♦ We had a great time with family & friends at Christmas
time. We left on the 23rd and came home on the 28th.
The days went by way too fast! We spent the 26th at the
hotel because of the blizzard and got 13+ inches in the
area we stayed. There was a restaurant attached to the
hotel so we didn‘t starve. We came home to no snow!
Woot Woot but short lived!
Tom & Monica
♦ Since then January it has dropped 9 inches of snow with 3
storms in our area. We do use wisdom with our schedule in going to the prisons
with snow. Tom would get one day digging out done and then the snow came
again & again. We both have seen enough snow already. I had to reschedule
blood labs and a doctor appointment. All a part of life!

Inside this issue: ♦ Update on my liver counts in fact I just got a phone that the counts are great
with just a slight elevation of the ALT. I will be rechecked in April. I am trusting the
Let it snow 1
Lord for God is faithful!
JLWOP 1-2
♦ In this newsletter are some statistics in reference to Juvenile Lifers Without
No More 3
Parole (JLWOP). I wanted to read about the 3 inmates (juvenile offenders) that
Pastor Tom’s Preaching Corner 3-4 were given clemency by Gov. Ed Rendell of PA in December 2010 and in doing so
Prayer Corner 4 I found some interesting facts. We are in no way saying that a juvenile shouldn’t
be punished. Every state has different laws in reference to juvenile offenders.
Pennsylvania has the toughest laws on JLWOP when murder is involved and are
automatically tried as an adult. There are 2 sentences for murder in
Pennsylvania for the juveniles & adults: 1st & 2nd degree are given Life Without
Special points of interest: Parole and 3rd degree are given the mandatory 20 year sentence.
• Our Mission & Our Vision. continued pg 2

• You are an extended hand.

Our Mission & Our Vision
• 11 years in prison ministry!

OUR MISSION..........To help men in prison reach their fullest in the Lord.

WHAT WE DO.....… Ministering to their spirit, soul and body, through one on
one mentoring as their spiritual advisor and friend.

HOW WE BEGAN......... Jeremiah Prison Ministry began on November 30, 1999,
and was birth out of a bond for a young man that made a wrong choice in life

OUR VISION……. To be able to go into the prison chapels without the inmates
having to take us off their visiting list. “With God all things are possible!”
Page 2 JPM Newswire

Juvenile Life Without Parole

You may ask why are we publishing these statistics because we minister to
juvenile offenders severing life without parole and this is very dear to our
hearts. So I will be bringing the statistics in the next several newsletters as
there is so much information to share & to absorb. The information I found is
from “The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth” website. I watched a
video there on the work being done in PA to change JLWOP laws & I learned a
lot. I will be posting it at our website & can be viewed at www.endjlwop.org
Another website is Equal Justice Initiative at www.eji.org
The States Distribution of 2,570 Juvenile Offenders Serving LWOP with 450
in PA. PA has the highest volume of JLWOP. 59% of juveniles nationwide
The Campaign for the received LWOP for their very first criminal conviction. Based on the national
Fair Sentencing of Youth average, an estimated 25 % of these individuals were not even the principal
actor in the offense.
Http://www.endjlwop.org ∗ International law bans the sentence of child to LWOP. The Convention on
the Rights of a Child contains an absolute ban on the practice and the
United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
recommended that the United States “discontinue” the use of life without
parole sentences for children under the age of 18.
∗ The United States has sentenced the most children to this sentence by
far who have received LWOP as compared to only 7 children in the rest of
the world. No other country currently sentences children to die behind
bars without any opportunity to receive parole.
∗ As of 2007, nine jurisdictions in the United States prohibit the sentencing
of youth offenders to LWOP. These are: Alaska, Colorado, Kansas,
Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, New York, West Virginia, and the District
of Columbia. Other states are considering reforms or have efforts
underway to eliminate the sentence, including Arkansas, Florida, Illinois,
Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington.
∗ The United States leads the world in the practice of sentencing juveniles
to life without parole, claiming 99.7 percent of all youth globally serving
this sentence. In fact, there are only seven such cases outside of the US.
The oldest human rights treaty to which the US is a party, the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, prohibits this
sentence.
∗ Commendably, twelve states either forbid JLWOP or presently have no
such juvenile offenders that we know of serving that sentence. The states

Going past the that currently prohibit JLWOP are: Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky,
prison walls to Montana, New Mexico, and Oregon. The states where there are no people
take the Love of known to be serving JLWOP are: Maine, New Jersey, New York, Vermont,
Jesus. and West Virginia. There is also no one known to be serving a JLWOP
sentence in the District of Columbia. The federal government does
sentence youth to LWOP—there are currently at least 36 people serving
JLWOP in federal prison.
continued next month
Volume 12 Issue 02 Page 3

Spending time with my Father

"We loved you so much that

Pastor Tom’s Preaching Corner we were delighted to share
with you not only the gogos-
s-
Five Obstacle to a Positive Attitude (continued from November 2010) pel of God but our lives as
well, because you had bbe-
e-
Proverbs 23:7a; “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” come so dear to us."
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I briefly discussed about how the Bible talks about your attitude, attitudes 1 Thessalonians 2:8
are expressed by an outward expression and the choices we make.
1. Change
Change
None of us like changes in our lives, but it is all about God preparing us
for greater things ahead. Even though God has blessed you in the past, if
you don’t make changes today, you will get left behind. You have to
make changes if you expect to grow.
2. Problems
When problems arise, it is our attitude that determines how we come out.
Anytime God is preparing you to go to a higher level, He will always allow
problems to come your way. It’s about preparing you for the future. It’s
about the testing of your faith in spite of the problems.
3. Fear
God has a plan for your life, but fear will cause you to stay right where you
are, and keep you from a victorious life. Fear tells you that you can’t do
anything for God. God’s word tells us to walk by faith and not by sight.
There’s something about faith that strengthens and encourages you.

continued pg 4
Jeremiah Prison Ministry

Revs. Thomas & Monica Cohee

To Our Family & Friends
128 Conodoguinet Mobile Estates
Newville, PA 17241 We love you!
Phone: 717-776-3535
Fax: 717-776-3235

I was in prison and you visited me – Matt. 25:36b

W E’ RE ON THE WEB
WWW. JEREMIAHPRISONMINISTRY. COM
1 1 YEARS OF P RISON M INISTRY
Pastor Tom’s preaching corner
4. Failure
As long as you never give up, you are in a position to go forward in life. There is
something about failure that will cause you to surrender your will to God.
Successful people are persistent and determined. They learn from their mistakes.
5. Discouragement
You are an Extended
Hand and a vital part of this
The challenge we have as believers is to hold onto our faith in spite of the ministry. Together we are
discouragement that comes our way. Every time we experience great making a difference with Jesus
Christ, taking life to a dark
discouragement, it’s a turning point in our lives. If you find yourself greatly
place! We go because you send
discouraged today, you need to get the focus off of yourself by blessing and giving us. Thank You so much!
to others. When we are disappointed, we always need the help of others in order to
recover. Let go of the past, and reach forward to the things of the future.

Prayer Corner There Is Power In Prayer

Pray for Kevin, Chris, Mike & Domingo that God blesses them financially above and beyond
their expectations. They faithfully stay in touch with us.

Pray for Randall V. in prison falsely accused of a crime.

Pray for Larry, Lewis, Corey, Bob, Greg, & Eric for favor to receive commutation. Believe
Hebrews 13:5b
with us for them for a miracle with God’s favor. “Jesus will never leave

Pray for Jeremiah as we continue to believe for a miracle for his release.

Pray for healing for Larry, Bob & Corey. you nor forsake you.”

Pray for Kevin D. from NY. Kevin is 17 and had Leukemia, he is in remission. I haven’t
heard from his mom in some time but we can still pray for them.

Leah is now 15. She remains cancer free, 5 years off chemo & is now in the survivor’s
clinic! God is so faithful & continues to hear our prayers!

Pray for our grandson, Andy, recovering from pilonidal tract surgery & recently diagnosed
with ankylosing spondylitis in the sacroiliac joints.

Pray for my daughter, Vickie she found out she has food allergies & thyroid condition.

Praise-Dale our son in law is back to work.

Pray for Terri & Tayler they are doing much better but still miss Alan.

Pray for my brother Norman needs knee surgery-praise he was approved for SS Disability.

Pray for the Salvation of every man, woman, boy and girl not saved in this world. Our
prayers are heard!

Please pray for all the inmates, their families, our nation, our leaders, our military and their
families.

Pray for reform in the prison system, for lives to be changed & a spiritual renewal across
this land with men, women, boys & girls being touched.

Pray for Bill our dear friend who goes with us to some of the prisons, he is still having back
pain, pray his health is restored.

Pray for Dotty another dear friend in prison ministry, she has lymes disease.

Pray for us for strength and wisdom in all that we do, for Tom & Monica to stay cancer free
& healthy to do God‘s work.
God hears!