Family Members Express Concern After Bibles Removed From Tenn. Prison

Family members visiting their loved ones at a prison in Tennessee have expressed concern after Bibles were reportedly removed from the visitation room.

A woman visiting her relative at the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex near Pikeville, Tennessee told the local WBIR-TV that she witnessed a prison guard forcefully removing the Holy Books from their usual shelf in the visitation room last weekend.

"He started jerking Bibles out of the shelf where they're held," the woman, who did not want to be named, told WBIR-TV. "He even approached an elderly man who was there, a visitor, and literally ripped the Bible from his hand."

"We couldn't tell if he was throwing them into a box or a trash can, but they were airborne," the woman added.

The local media outlet reports that the incident arose after other family members complained that Qurans were not made available in the visitation room. Following the complaint, prison officials decided that the most fair solution would be to remove all religious books from the visitation room. The Bibles will now be kept in the prison's chapel area.

Prisons in the U.S. have boasted multiple religious programs aimed at keeping inmates out of crime once they end their incarceration. As The Topeka-Capital Journal reported, several inmates at the Shawnee County Jail and other prisons in the state have spoken out on the healing powers of religious programs, such as inmate Bible study.

Troy Eastman, an inmate at the county jail, told the media outlet that his participation in Bible study has made him want to help others find Christ.

"My plans are to go help veterans at the VA find Christ before it's too late for them — help other addicts," he said. "Jesus Christ has turned my whole life around. He will change you from the inside out."