Desert Prison Ministry is a private, unrecognized, unauthorized, unsanctioned Catholic ministry to prisoners. Visiting the imprisoned is the Sixth Work of Corporal Mercy in Catholic teaching.

My purpose in carrying on this ministry is simple: to fulfill Christ’s injunction (Matthew 25:36) to visit and minister to prisoners. At present I write some thirty-five prisoners on a regular basis, many of them on death row, and mentor two groups of prisoners at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville, TN. These prisoners are forming small groups dedicated to the study and living of the Rule of St. Benedict. I do this under the guidance of Chaplain Jeannie Alexander and Father Donald Raila, O.S.B., Oblate Director at St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA. On this blog site I intend only to make contact with others carrying on the same work, and to solicit the prayers and financial contributions that make my work possible. Nothing on this site will in any way compromise the privacy of the prisoners ministered to. Desert Prison Ministry helps prisoners of any faith or no faith with financial contributions when possible and supplies Bibles, prayer books, and other literature as needed. For example, in addition to religious literature, DPM has sent prisoners Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, St. Thomas More’s Sadness of Christ, Father Ciszek’s He Leadeth Me, Orwell’s 1984, and other classic works of literature and spirituality. On this site I will list current needs. Those interested in helping me with them should respond to this site or contact me: Dr. Ken Craven 661 S. Edgewood Drive Sparta, TN 38583-1105 931-979-1938 kentoncraven@hotmail.com May God bless you for your prayers!