An article about the Lifers Group in Washington State Reformatory, Monroe, WA from Real Change News:

http://www.realchangenews.org/pastissuesupgrade/2004_04_15/current/features/theman.html

The Man from the Outside

Monroe's lifers have a friend in Rev. Jon Nelson
by Kaye Allard

Jon Nelson isn't the kind of man you'd expect to see in prison. A thick snow-white chinstrap beard lines a friendly face; his laugh is laid back and generous. His diction says father and pastor, but for 32 years, inmates at the Monroe state prison have known him as a stanch advocate for prisoner rights.
Every Monday evening at 4:30, Nelson rounds up five or so other volunteer sponsors and heads to Monroe. The group is keeping constructive, positive contact with the outside world alive for about 50 prisoners that belong to Monroe's Concerned Lifers Organization....
...
"I think there are signs that we may be forced to a new attitude," he says. "Part of it is economics. It's now costing more to imprison our young people than it is to educate them. That's a really frightening and sickening reality."

Retired Lutheran minister Jon Nelson has been visiting the Monroe Correctional Center to meet with inmates sentenced to life in prison for 32 years.

More from the Lifers at Monroe, WA can be read in this book, with excerpts, published by Raven Chronicles, scroll down and click on the Endless Sentence chapbook cover to start downloading this collection produced through the Hugo House Prison Program with Raven Chronicles (PDF file):

http://www.ravenchronicles.org/MonroeChap.pdf

Here is more on the Jon Nelson Prison program for Lifers:

http://www.hugohouse.org/programs/prison.html