Alan's Story

The following is an excerpt from the May/June 2006 edition of the Prison Fellowship Scotland Newsletter and Prayer Diary.

I come from the Motherwell area of Scotland and growing up, my home life was very unstable. I grew to become very insecure with great loss of identity. 

I started drinking at a young age and then got involved in drugs. On reflection, I know I was looking for answers to life and, at the same time, try to fill an emptiness in my life. Eventually, I progressed on to heroin and my life totally spiralled out of control, causing my inner brokenness to worsen.

One night, without relation to drink or drugs, I was attacked by a person who had a long feud with me, which resulted in us fighting and him losing his life. I was later convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Since heroin was available in prison, my addiction continued there. After a year of  drug use in prison, without the ability or desire to get off drugs, I became completely broken, insecure, and empty. I had become full of hatred and seemed to be on the verge of insanity.

One Monday night in early 2002, while in Shotts prison, I went to a Prison Fellowship meeting. I listened to the volunteers speaking of how God could completely transform an individual‘s life, that there was a new start and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. I went back to my cell that night full of hope and began to seek God with all my heart.

That was four years ago and I have never taken a drug since. During these four years God has been transforming and healing me on the inside and He continues to do so.

One year after being saved I left Shotts prison for Greenock prison where I spent fourteen months. While there I met another group of Prison Fellowship volunteers and friendships developed. PF is very involved with Greenock prison and it was a
great time for me to grow in the Lord and be discipled.

The last year of my sentence was spent at Noranside open prison. The PF leader there, Andrew, is also the pastor of the church I attended during that year. The love and acceptance I felt there was amazing. Since my release in July 2005, I have been continually moving forward with God.

I am now in full-time work and attend a church in Belishill, with a pastor named Michael whose conversion was also greatly influenced by Prison Fellowship while serving a prison sentence.

The volunteers of PF have been really good to me in many different ways over the last four years. Their support, friendship and contact have continued since my release. I offer my thanks to them for this and for bringing me to Christ, but most of all I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for rescuing me from the gutter and giving me new life.

Alan