Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter
JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV
JANUARY 2014
Revs. Tom & Monica
OUR MISSION & VISION
Our Mission – to help men in
prison reach their fullest in the
Lord.
What we do – Ministering to their
spirit, soul and body, though one
on one mentoring as their spiritual
advisor and friend.
How we began – Jeremiah Prison
Ministry began on November 30,
1999, which was birth out of a
bond for a young man that made a
wrong choice in life..
Our Vision – to be able to go into
the prison chapels without the
inmates having to take us off their
visiting list. “We know with God
ALL things ARE Possible!
72 men have been released in 14
years. We still are ministering to
67 inmates in 5 states.
Please make sure to use
our new address when
sending a donation.
Celebrated 14 years of Prison Ministry in 2013
I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME – MATT. 25:36B
We are serving Him by serving them! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 02
Thankful for 14 years in Prison Ministry……
We have had a great year ministering to those in prison, traveling a lot of miles to
and fro despite our physical trials. We are looking forward to going this coming year
and with you it’s possible, with your financial support and your prayers for with God
all things are possible.
We pray that you will continue to partner with us so we can go to prisons and send
out Bibles, greeting cards, our newsletters to inmates in 5 states, families and
friends in 13 states. We thank you for your support and believing in what we do!
Health Update…..
My back is doing well, Praise the Lord! By the time you get our newsletter I will have
had cataract surgery on my R eye (23rd) and the L eye will be done on the 30th. I had
to start eye drops today… not a good idea to do the newsletter as my eye is dilating.
So if there are typos please forgive in advance! GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Bill Schuette's crusade against juvenile lifers in Michigan by Brian Dickerson
Cruel and unusual: That’s how the U.S. Supreme Court described the law under
which Michigan has condemned some 350 convicts to life in prison without the
possibility of parole for crimes committed before their 18th birthdays. It also
describes Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s cynical campaign to blunt the
impact of the high court’s 2012 ruling that Michigan’s mandatory sentencing
scheme was unconstitutional.
Schuette insists the ruling applies to only teenagers sentenced after 2012, and has
sought to block parole hearings for the 350 juvenile lifers already housed in
Michigan’s prisons on grounds that honoring their constitutional rights would
unduly traumatize their victims’ survivors.
“The families of crime victims must come first,” the attorney general’s
spokeswoman explains.
But that’s a political principle, not a legal one. And it’s the law Schuette vowed to
uphold when he was sworn in three years ago as Michigan’s top law enforcement
official.
Last month, in an order signaling his impatience with Schuette’s foot-dragging, an
exasperated U.S. District Court Judge Corbett O’Meara threatened to appoint a
special master unless the state notified its juvenile lifers that they were entitled to
parole hearings under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Miller v. Alabama.
Schuette, who knows an unpopular foil when he sees one, quickly sought a stay of
O’Meara’s order, and last week a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit of Appeals
agreed to delay its implementation at least until Schuette has articulated his legal
objections. The attorney general’s crack public relations staff quickly fired off a news
release in which Schuette described the procedural delay as “an early Christmas gift
for families of murder victims.” It is useful to recall that absolutely no one has
Page 2
Keeping you informed
about the PA Courts to
change the sentencing
laws for juvenile offender
serving life without
parole. Keep praying it’s
not over yet!
PRAYER CORNER
~Pray for Kevin, Mike, Domingo,
Michael, & Richard that God blesses
them financially.
~Pray for Larry, Ricky, Lewis, Corey,
Bob, Greg, & Eric to receive favor for
commutation and retrials.
~Pray for Jeremiah as we continue to
believe for a miracle for his release.
~Pray for continued healing for Bob,
Larry, & Harvey.
~Pray our granddaughter Leah she is
still having migraines. Leah is 18!
~Pray for Andy our grandson, he
carries a 3.96 avg. at DSU. He had
surgery & is doing GREAT!.
~Pray for all our family spiritually,
physically and financially.
~Pray continue to for my brother,
Norman. Pray for Tom’s brother,
John, as he is on dialysis.
~Pray for the salvation of the world.
Pray for inmates and their families,
our Nation, our leaders, our military
and their families.
~Pray for prison reform in our nation.
~Pray for Bill our dear friend & his
wife Rose for good health.
~Pray for Dotty & her husband Stan
for good health.
~Pray for us for strength and wisdom
in all we do, that we remain cancer
free and healthy to do God’s work, for
our cars to be mechanically sound.
You are an Extended Hand
and a vital part of this
ministry. Together we are
making a difference with
Jesus Christ, taking life to
a dark place! We go
because you send us.
Thank You so much!
Jeremiah Prison Ministry
Revs. Tom & Monica Cohee
223 Cameo Dr.
Fayetteville, PA 17222
717-352-0080
Fax: 717-352-0392
info@jeremiahprisonministry.com
We’re on the Web!
www.jeremiahprisonministry.com
Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee
Pastor Tom’s Preaching Corner
A NEW THING
1st Peter 2:9-10; Look up Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 43:18-29
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His
own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: who once were not a
people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but
now have obtained mercy.
God tells us in the book of Isaiah that we are to forget about the things of the past for behold
God is about to do a new thing.God has great plans for your future. Plans for peace. Plans for
success. Plans for a great future and hope.
If you will let go of the past, God will begin to bless you. You will have to get all your failures
under the blood of Jesus Christ. Let God do a new thing.
Our spiritual enemy’s plan is: To hold us hostage to our past. To keep us remembering what
folks did to us. To keep us looking back so we can’t move forward. Paul said, “Forgetting what
lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”
God made you: To soar with the eagles. To be more than a conqueror. To be a giant killer and
to possess the land. Maybe you have failed drastically, but you can get it behind you. All you
have to do is face your failures, repent and trust God for a new beginning. The Bible says, “If
you will diligently obey the Lord, He will command his blessings to come on you.”
God brought Lot and his family out of Sodom and said whatever you do, don’t look back. Lot
was trying to follow God but his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Remember Lot’s wife, God had a great future for her but she was stuck in the past. Don’t look
back anytime God delivers you from: A bad situation. From drugs. From a bad marriage.
Your destiny will change, when you walk away from your past. You can’t help where you’ve
been, but you can help where you’re going. Trust God for a new beginning today
Continued from page 1: recommended that even a single juvenile lifer should be released
except as a corpse. Nothing in the Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling or Judge O’Meara’s principled
efforts to enforce it precludes Michigan from sentencing incorrigible juvenile felons to life in
prison or keeping them there. What the court commanded, and O’Meara seeks to compel, is
simply an opportunity for any teenager sentenced to life without parole under Michigan’s now
invalidated law to tell a parole board why he or she should be released after serving at least 25
years in prison.
Even state Rep. Joe Haveman, a Holland Republican whose west Michigan district is among
the most conservative in the state, recognizes the unfairness of treating post-2012 juvenile
felons differently than their predecessors.
“I think commonsense says that if you’re going to create a sentencing structure for those
(juvenile lifers) moving forward, it should apply to those who got life sentences in the past,”
Haveman told MLive’s Jonathan Oosting earlier this month. Haveman, who says he is “not by
any means recommending that we open the doors and let everyone out,” says he thinks as
many as a fifth of the juvenile lifers in Michigan might be able to make the case for leaving
prison before they die.Haveman, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, sponsored
legislation mandating parole hearings for every juvenile lifer, including those incarcerated
before 2012. But state Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, a former sheriff who has made a
career of grandstanding on law-and-order issues, persuaded his Senate colleagues to exclude
current prisoners, and a version approved by the House would include them only if federal or
state Supreme Court justices insisted.
The Michigan Supreme Court could do just that when it takes up the cases of three currently
incarcerated juvenile lifers sometime in 2014. Justices have already agreed to hear arguments
by lawyers for Dakota Eliason, Raymond Carp and Cortez Davis. Eliason was convicted at the
age of 14 when he was charged in his grandfather’s murder; Carp and Davis were convicted of
participating in killings when they were 16.
Schuette has already given notice that he will oppose all three prisoners’ requests for a parole
hearing. He says it’s another opportunity to express his support for crime victims — but all he’s
really expressing is his contempt for the constitutional rights of a constituency that can’t vote.

FEBRUARY 2014
Revs. Tom & Monica
OUR MISSION & VISION
Our Mission – to help men in
prison reach their fullest in the
Lord.
What we do – Ministering to their
spirit, soul and body, though one
on one mentoring as their spiritual
advisor and friend.
How we began – Jeremiah Prison
Ministry began on November 30,
1999, which was birth out of a
bond for a young man that made a
wrong choice in life..
Our Vision – to be able to go into
the prison chapels without the
inmates having to take us off their
visiting list. “We know with God
ALL things ARE Possible!
76 men have been released in 14
years. We still are ministering to
64 inmates in 6 states.
Please make sure to use
our new address when
sending a donation.
Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter
JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV
Celebrated 14 years of Prison Ministry in 2013
I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME – MATT. 25:36B
We are serving Him by serving them! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 03
Wow What A Winter………………
We have had the snow for February. Tom has shoveled his share and I did what I
could do! We are finally seeing our flower garden. We had a lot of appointments
that we had to reschedule for the month. We are so ready for SPRING…. the birdies
are singing so that is a sign even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow!
Health Update…..
I came though my eye surgeries wonderfully! I was able to order my glasses this
week. I still have astigmatisms in both eyes, the IOL only takes care of distance
vision and without glasses my vision is 20/25. I am using Dollar Tree $1.00 glasses
to read and use the computer. I was prolonging the newsletter until I got glasses
but I figured I could try and get it done! Praise the Lord!
Two Juvenile Offenders Previously Sentenced to Life Without Parole in Iowa
Obtain Relief! Kristina Fetters was sentenced to die in prison for a crime at 14 years old.
After the United States Supreme Court banned mandatory life imprisonment without parole
sentences for juveniles like Kristina, she was resentenced last month. Now 33 and suffering
from cancer, Kristina was released from prison last week to hospice care.
Kristina is one of only two girls who were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in
the State of Iowa for an offense that occurred at age 14. Life without parole is the
mandatory sentence in Iowa for first-degree murder, and Kristina was sentenced without
any consideration of her extremely young age or the circumstances that led to the tragic
killing of her aunt, whom she dearly loved.
In 2008, EJI attorneys filed a petition challenging Kristina's sentence as cruel and unusual
punishment that violated the Constitution and Iowa law. In 2010, the United States Supreme
Court in Graham v. Florida held that key differences between children and adults must be
considered in sentencing, and in 2012, the Court in Miller v. Alabama banned mandatory
life-without-parole sentences for children. This summer, the Iowa Supreme Court held that
Miller applies retroactively to cases like Kristina's.
Then, as Kristina was preparing for a new sentencing hearing this fall, she became gravely ill
and was diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer. On November 21, the Polk County District
Court resentenced her to life with possibility of parole and recommended that she be
paroled immediately. On December 3, the parole board granted Kristina parole to a hospice
in Des Moines, where she can be near her family. She was released from prison on
December 10, marking the first release of a person sentenced to life without parole as a
juvenile in Iowa.
The other 14-year-old girl sentenced to die in prison in Iowa, Ruthann Veal, has also received
a new sentence under the Supreme Court's decision in Miller. LIke Kristina's sentence,
Ruthann's sentence was mandatory; the sentencing judge could not consider her young age
or any of the facts about her abusive, dysfunctional family in determining the appropriate
sentence.
EJI attorneys filed a petition to challenge Ruthann's sentence as unconstitutional and argued
that it is cruel and unusual punishment to condemn a young child to die in prison.
(Continued Page 2)
Page 2
Keeping you informed
about the Courts to
change the sentencing
laws for juvenile offender
serving life without
parole. Keep praying it’s
not over yet!
PRAYER CORNER
~Pray for Harvey, Kevin, Mike,
Domingo, Michael, & Richard that
God blesses them financially.
~Pray for Larry, Ricky, Lewis, Corey,
Bob, Greg, & Eric to receive favor for
commutation and retrials.
~Pray for Jeremiah as we continue to
believe for a miracle for his release.
~Pray for continued healing for Bob &
Larry..
~Pray our granddaughter Leah she is
still having migraines. Leah is 18!
~Pray for Andy our grandson, he
carries a 3.96 avg. at DSU. His
wound is doing GREAT!.
~Pray for all our family spiritually,
physically and financially.
~Pray continue to for my brother,
Norman. Pray for Tom’s brother,
John, as he is on dialysis.
~Pray for the salvation of the world.
Pray for inmates and their families,
our Nation, our leaders, our military
and their families.
~Pray for prison reform in our nation.
~Pray for Bill our dear friend & his
wife Rose for good health.
~Pray for Dotty & her husband Stan
for good health.
~Pray for us for strength and wisdom
in all we do, that we remain cancer
free and healthy to do God’s work, for
our cars to be mechanically sound.
You are an Extended Hand
and a vital part of this
ministry. Together we are
making a difference with
Jesus Christ, taking life to
a dark place! We go
because you send us.
Thank You so much!
Jeremiah Prison Ministry
Revs. Tom & Monica Cohee
223 Cameo Dr.
Fayetteville, PA 17222
717-352-0080
Fax: 717-352-0392
info@jeremiahprisonministry.com
We’re on the Web!
www.jeremiahprisonministry.com
Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee
Pastor Tom’s Preaching Corner
IT’S TIME TO GROW UP
Romans 8:5-8 NKJV For those who live according to the flesh, set
their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not
subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh
cannot please God.
The Bible says that we wrestle not with flesh and blood. We do have a spiritual
enemy. We must learn to quit acting like carnal Believers.
God wants to see the fruit of the spirit in our lives and each of us to mature in
Christ.
Maturity comes by standing on God’s Word. He wants us to mature in spite of what
our emotions tell us. He wants us to mature even though our flesh tells us to do the
opposite of what is right. It is about obeying the Word.
A carnal Christian lives life according to their feeling. They blame everybody else
but themselves for their problems. They make decisions based on emotions. If you
live your life according to emotions, you will have a miserable life. You will tell
people off when you feel like it. You will ruin relationships.
3rd John 3 says, “Beloved, I pray above all things that you prosper and be in good
health even as your soul prospers.” There are certain blessings that God cannot give
you until you grow up in Christ. God wants to release the gifts of the spirit in your
life.
You will never live a victorious Christian life until you learn to walk by faith and not
by sight. God wants you to walk by faith and not your feelings. Be faithful to one
thing and quit letting your emotions rule you.
When God is working in your life, He will allow you to go through some tough times.
Tough times are to teach you about faith. Tough times can happen in order to
develop your character.
God wants you to grow up and overcome your flesh. He wants you to have a good
attitude and submit to authority. He wants you to be disciplined enough that you
can keep your mouth closed and hold your tongue.
If you are always blaming somebody else for your life, then you are never going to
grow up in Christ.
The enemy wants to mess with your feelings and emotions. He wants you to think
God didn’t hear your prayers. He wants you to think that God doesn’t love you.
It’s time to shake off things that are getting you down and cast all your cares on the
Lord. Quit blaming others for your miserable life. Forget the past and reach for your
future.
It’s time to quit letting your emotions rule your life and keep walking by faith.
It’s time to grow up in Christ!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Continued from Page 1: On December 9, 2013, Ruthann was resentenced to life with
the possibility of parole. Now 35 years old, Ruthann has served more than 20 years
in prison. Among her rehabilitative programs and activities at the prison, Ruthann
volunteers in the prison hospice unit, where she cares for terminally ill women
including - until her release last week - Kristina Fetters. (Equal Justice Initiative December
16, 2013)

MARCH 2014
Revs. Tom & Monica
OUR MISSION & VISION
Our Mission – to help men in
prison reach their fullest in the
Lord.
What we do – Ministering to their
spirit, soul and body, though one
on one mentoring as their spiritual
advisor and friend.
How we began – Jeremiah Prison
Ministry began on November 30,
1999, which was birth out of a
bond for a young man that made a
wrong choice in life..
Our Vision – to be able to go into
the prison chapels without the
inmates having to take us off their
visiting list. “We know with God
ALL things ARE Possible!
76 men have been released in 14
years. We still are ministering to
64 inmates in 6 states.
Please make sure to use
our new address when
sending a donation.
Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter
JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV
Celebrated 14 years of Prison Ministry in 2013
I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME – MATT. 25:36B
We are serving Him by serving them! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 04
Well Spring Is Came and the Snow Stayed!
We have been amazed with the weather this past winter and early spring and I am
sure the plants, trees and birdies are too. But nothing amazes our God only us
humans. We did have a few beautiful days near the end of March and we are so
thankful! It’s time to for the planters to be changed and flowers planted.
Health Update…..
Well I did get my glasses but I can’t see the computer with the bifocals. So guess
what I am using my Dollar Tree $1.00 (+2.00 Diopters) to see the computer. We
have had health appointments just about every week and most of these being just
checkups. Tom had his annual checkup in York for Prostate Cancer and he remains
Cancer FREE, Halleluiah! Yep I am running late in getting this newsletter out!
We always go to the mall afterwards to walk and shop. Well I had an encounter
with the escalator in JCPenny’s and fell part way down. I got my foot caught in two
steps, which are metal, and cut the back of my leg near my ankle plus a lot of sore
muscles, Tom pulled me up or I would of went all the way down. We are thankful to
God it wasn’t worse. I could write a book on our monthly adventures but I won’t
bore you with the details. I am sure you all have your own too!
Life Without Parole for Juveniles is moving along!
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled it retroactive for juvenile
offenders that had life sentences could now have a chance for parole. TBG 12/24/13
The Illinois Supreme Court today unanimously held that Miller v. Alabama applies
retroactively to sentences imposed before the United States Supreme Court
announced that decision in 2012. Eji.org 3/10/14
Illinois joins Florida, Mississippi, Iowa, Massachusetts, Texas, Nebraska, and federal
courts across the country in recognizing that Miller is fully retroactive. Eji.org 3/10/14
I researched on several cases to see if the re-sentences that had been given at this
point in time and I found no information on Kuntrell Jackson 2013, Branden Pete
2014, along with Adolfo Davis whom filed in 2014 a retroactive application in Illinois.
Page 2
Keeping you informed
about the Courts to
change the sentencing
laws for juvenile offender
serving life without
parole. Keep praying it’s
not over yet!
PRAYER CORNER
~Pray for Harvey, Kevin, Mike,
Domingo, Michael, & Richard that
God blesses them financially.
~Pray for Larry, Ricky, Lewis, Corey,
Bob, Greg, & Eric to receive favor for
commutation and retrials.
~Pray for Jeremiah as we continue to
believe for a miracle for his release.
~Pray for continued healing for Bob &
Larry..
~Pray our granddaughter Leah she is
still having migraines. Leah is 18!
~Pray for Andy our grandson, he
carries a 3.96 avg. at DSU. His
wound is doing GREAT!.
~Pray for all our family spiritually,
physically and financially.
~Pray continue to for my brother,
Norman. Pray for Tom’s brother,
John, as he is on dialysis.
~Pray for the salvation of the world.
Pray for inmates and their families,
our Nation, our leaders, our military
and their families.
~Pray for prison reform in our nation.
~Pray for Bill our dear friend & his
wife Rose for good health.
~Pray for Dotty & her husband Stan
for good health.
~Pray for us for strength and wisdom
in all we do, that we remain cancer
free and healthy to do God’s work, for
our cars to be mechanically sound.
You are an Extended Hand
and a vital part of this
ministry. Together we are
making a difference with
Jesus Christ, taking life to
a dark place! We go
because you send us.
Thank You so much!
Jeremiah Prison Ministry
Revs. Tom & Monica Cohee
223 Cameo Dr.
Fayetteville, PA 17222
717-352-0080
Fax: 717-352-0392
info@jeremiahprisonministry.com
We’re on the Web!
www.jeremiahprisonministry.com
Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee
Pastor Tom’s Preaching Corner
OH THE BLOOD OF JESUS
Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:11-12, 22 NKJV
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you
upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the
blood that makes atonement for the soul.
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with
the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands,
that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own
blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal
redemption.
And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without
shedding of blood there is no remission.
The Bible says that the life of the flesh is in the blood. There can be no life
without blood.
God could have chosen various ways to save mankind. The Blood of Jesus is
God’s plan of redemption.
The Blood of Jesus is precious Blood because it is sinless Blood.
The patterns of the original Hebrew scriptures would all point to the Blood of
Jesus Christ. The lambs were sacrificed at 3:00 in the afternoon. Innocence
would die in the place of the people’s guilt.
God’s plan was that every human being be found innocent through the Blood
of Jesus Christ.
Without the Blood, the Bible would be like any other book. The Word is living
and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Bible is alive because
of the Blood.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus doesn’t have a way to
heaven, He is the Way. Jesus doesn’t have some truth, He is the Truth. Jesus
doesn’t have some life to give, He is the Life.
It will take the Blood of the Lamb to purchase your salvation. Being good
won’t get you to heaven. Living clean won’t get you to heaven.
The Bible says that the brethren overcame the devil by the Blood of the Lamb
and the word of their testimony.
When we know about the Blood of Jesus Christ, then we can defeat every
accusation that the enemy brings against our minds. When the enemy says
we’re no good, we can defeat him with the Blood. When the enemy says that
God is mad at you, you can defeat him with the Blood. When people throw
your past in your face, tell them that it’s under the Blood.
The anointing of the Blood lifts burdens and breaks bondages. If there are
burdens in your life, praise God for the Blood until there’s a breakthrough.
The Bible says that we have redemption through His Blood. He was
wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. My
salvation has come through the Blood of Jesus Christ.
Oh, the blood of Jesus! Oh, the blood of Jesus!
Oh, the blood of Jesus! It washes white as snow.
What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.