Institute Students Serve Through Jail Ministry at Davidson County Jail
Institute students and adult volunteers on a tour of the Davidson County Jail and Behavioral Care Center, Spring 2026.
“We really need hope!”
“It’s been a while since we got to sit in a bible study like this.”
“Thank you so much for visiting with us. We really appreciate you all.”
These were just a few of the positive responses Institute students and chaperones received at their first gathering with inmates in the Davidson County Jail. Davidson County Sheriff’s Department holds some of the highest accolades in Tennessee state and the nation at large for their approach to inmate care and operating procedures.
Students are learning about the approach of the Davidson County Jail as well as broader implications of mental health, faith, and justice.
On a tour of Nashville’s downtown facility earlier this year, an Institute team of 8 students and 2 chaperones saw firsthand the impact that is being made through their approach, including their Behavioral Care Center. The Behavioral Care Center is first of its kind in Tennessee, offering an avenue for a trauma-informed response to situations that might otherwise criminalize mental health conditions. In response to the tour, students testified to the humanizing, compassionate approach throughout the entire jail amongst the staff, while also holding to strict safety policies to keep inmates safe and accounted for.
Jesus said, “I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me” (NRSV, Matthew 25:36, 40). Hebrews tells us to remember the prisoner as if we ourselves are prisoners (13:1-13). As our students are learning God’s Word in the classroom, they are being challenged to put his word into action throughout the school year in the very places you would find Jesus, amongst the incarcerated.
Students planning activities for their time with inmates.
In response to God’s word, a team of 9 students have responded to Jesus’ words in faith and are serving local inmates. In partnership with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Community Engagement Department, students are facilitating bible studies, life skills courses and gathering needed donations to do their part to live out Jesus’ words. These donations, according to the Community Engagement Department, will aid inmates to have their own moments of worship while incarcerated. Students are also gathering clothing items for inmates’ court appearances and release days, as well as reading glasses for those in need.
Students are taking seriously the needs of those incarcerated by responding not only with prayers but also, with action. They are currently going through the book of Philippians with inmates, drawing applicable encouragement from Paul the Apostle who wrote that book while incarcerated himself.
All Institute students participate in ministry formation experiences that cultivate a heart of service, expose them to real needs in Nashillve, and give them experiene with professionals who minister to those in need daily. Here, students are engaging in a tour of the Davidson County Jail.
Please join us in praying for this ongoing ministry outreach. Pray our students preach God’s word with boldness and that inmates encounter God’s presence that carries them through this season they are in. Our hope is that God’s word will bring a comfort and impact that changes them for the better forever.
Written by Jennifer Nyago
