Sharon Denham has gained a heart for those behind bars, and she wants to see others reach out as well.

“We are instructed by Jesus in the Bible to visit people in prisons. That’s instruction from the Lord himself,” said Denham.

Denham, of Gardendale, heads up the prison ministry at Gardendale First Baptist Church (GFBC), which was started seven years ago by Donna Gaines, wife of then-head pastor Steve Gaines. Denham took over the ministry six years ago. She is also a volunteer instructor for Prison Fellowship and a volunteer parole advocate for the Alabama Women’s Rescue Network.

The GFBC prison ministry does work in north Jefferson County jails as well as other jails and state prisons.

“If you had told me 20 years ago that someday I would have any kind of compassion for the defendant … I had that, ‘they made their bed, let them lie in it’ mentality,” Denham said. Twenty-five years ago, Denham was president of a local Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter when her sister was killed by a drunk driver.Since then, she has found compassion for inmates.

Denham agrees that there must be consequences for behavior, but she also believes people need a chance after prison.

“As Christians, we believe the answer to everything is Jesus Christ,” said Denham. “It is important for the church to be the church.”

One of Denham’s most recent ministry efforts is to support the building of a chapel at Bibb Correctional Facility in Brent, Ala.

“The building they use for a chapel, you wouldn’t know it’s a chapel. It looks more like a regular meeting room,” Denham said. The room holds about 150 people, nowhere near large enough to accommodate the prison population of almost 1,900 inmates.

“They’ve had a desire to have this new chapel for years,” Denham said. The chapel will be for people of all faiths who will be able to worship there.

Groundbreaking for the chapel is Thursday. Denham said the facility still needs funding and volunteers.

She is working closely with Debra Daniels, Alabama director for Prison Fellowship and a former inmate who has “a wonderful success story,” Denham said.

Daniels and Bibb Correctional Facility Warden Cheryl Price were unavailable for comment by press time on Friday.

Daniels, Denham and Price will all be on the Valerie Hicks radio show Tuesday, 2 p.m., on WAGG 610 AM.

To learn more about prison ministry or volunteering, call Denham at 902-8437. She said volunteers with GFBC prison ministry will train volunteers at other churches to have their own ministries.