Emunah (Hebrew for faith, belief)

This episode was first published on October 31, 2025

In this moving episode of Emunah, Dr. Tamara Henry sits down with Rev. Jamesina Greene to uncover an often-overlooked reality inside America’s prisons — the quiet, unseen caregiving that happens every single day. While the public tends to view prisons only through the lens of punishment, Rev. Greene invites us to see another side: incarcerated men and women who care for the sick, the elderly, and the dying; who mentor younger inmates; and who offer comfort and hope to those society has forgotten. Together, they explore what this kind of caregiving reveals about faith, dignity, and redemption in the most unlikely places.

Statistics on incarceration are staggering. More than 1.2 million people are currently held in state and federal prisons, and two out of three are also workers. Their jobs mirror those outside the prison walls — cooking, cleaning, cutting hair, landscaping, making furniture, uniforms, and even license plates. Some work in laundries and kitchens, while others perform vital public services like road repair and firefighting. Yet this labor, often exploitative, generates enormous profits for state prison systems and governments.

According to an ACLU report, incarcerated workers produce more than $2 billion a year in goods and $9 billion a year in services that help maintain the very prisons where they are confined.

Rev. Greene is the founder of A Mother’s Cry, a Maryland-based charitable organization supporting mothers of incarcerated children across the nation. Since 2000, the organization has provided critical resources and community outreach to help families navigate the financial, social, and emotional challenges of having a loved one behind bars.

Rev. Greene’s commitment is deeply personal. Her son, Byron, has been incarcerated since age 25, serving a 50-year sentence for first-degree assault. Over the years, he has often been placed in a caregiver role within the prison.

“My son is living proof that even behind bars, love and compassion survive,” Rev. Greene wrote in a Baltimore Afro-American op-ed on September 18, 2025 — a sentiment she echoed in her conversation on Emunah.

Host Dr. Tamara Henry reflected, “The hands that lift, feed, and comfort others remind us that God’s compassion can’t be confined.”

Byron himself shared insight into life behind bars: he rarely sleeps more than two or three hours a night. “It’s never quiet, it’s never dark, and it’s never safe,” he said. “You’re kept in a constant state of hypervigilance — prison is a battlefield.” His words paint a vivid picture of the mental strain faced by those incarcerated — and the critical need for compassion, mental health care, and human connection.

In addition to her ministry and nonprofit work, Rev. Greene is also a self-published author whose books can be found on Amazon. Her titles include Help, I Don’t Like Myself, A Mother’s Cry: A Mini Book for Moms, Finding Me, and I Am a Voice.

Call to Action

This episode carries a strong call to action:

Contact your state delegate and senator and urge them to support legislation granting credit to inmates who voluntarily serve as caregivers behind prison walls.

To connect with Rev. Greene, email amcjami@gmail.com or call 443-669-5485.

To reach host Dr. Tamara Henry, email Wordconsultingllc@gmail.com or share your testimony at wordconsultingllc.com.