Naked As A Jailbird Review

By Jennifer Graham


Priests are viewed as the representation of what God wants of man towards the poor and less privileged in the society. Richard Shaw in Naked as a Jailbird gives an account of his life as a priest and the lessons it has taught him. He narrates his experiences and expectations of the church and its leaders regarding the treatment of the poor.

The title captures the scenarios perfectly. Naked is the best description one can give of lives of people in prison. The first act involves stripping of their rights to ordinary clothing, freedom and privacy. The environment robs the prisoners of all the dignity that a human being craves. The lack and vulnerability that comes with nakedness is what dominates this narrative.

The book focuses on the lives of people behind bars. Though they are human, there is nothing in them that can cover them. This is why they are regarded as naked. The experiences described are drawn from his time and responsibilities as a prison chaplain. Though he was ordained as an adult, he has a lot of growing up to do based on the experiences he encounters in prison.

Shaw is also interested in how the church and its leaders treat wealth. In his opinion, the church should not have more than 85cents in its accounts or that of the priests. The church acts as a channel through which resources get to the poor. Holding on to these resources means that they are not getting to those who need them.

Priests and the church are supposed to take the vow of poverty. The minute they begin to amass wealth, they cease to resonate with the ordinary man who requires their attention. They will also lose focus on God and his requirements for his people. This book humanizes the priest to make him easy to relate with. He is seen as the link between those deprived of life and their salvation.

It is rare to think of prisoners unless you have a friend or relative incarcerated. The method of narration by Richard Shaw is a sharing of the experience behind bars. It becomes easier to understand the life and experience behind bar beyond considering everyone a criminal. There are humans with feelings and desires like me and you.

Jails are not made of prisoners alone. There are people working in the environment and tasked with keeping it as strict and almost in human as most people know it. Shaw gives an account of the lives and thoughts of these prison warders and the officers who come into contact with them. Read the book to know the impact this system has on their lives.

Richard Shaw tells of the life in prison from the perspective of a religious leader. This is a fast paced and life changing book that will cause you to change your perspective of incarceration. It is also an opportunity to experience what passion can do as exemplified by Shaw in his vocation as a priest. It is an opportunity for all people to use their careers to change the lives of those they interact with.




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