MEXICO CITY—Officials from the state of Baja California, Mexico, presented Jehovah’s Witnesses with a certificate of appreciation for their Bible education work in state penitentiaries. The document was signed by state secretary of public security, Daniel De La Rosa Anaya, and by secretary of the state penitentiary system, Jesús Héctor Grijalva Tapia.

The certificate reads: “The state government, through the secretary of public security, grants appreciation to Jehovah’s Witnesses for their invaluable support, dedication, work, and commitment to the Baja California community; contributing to the enhancement of the quality of life and thereby strengthening social reintegration.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses regularly visit several penitentiaries in Baja California, including one in Mexicali, which they began visiting in 1991 after receiving an inquiry from an inmate. In an interview with the Witnesses, director of the Social Rehabilitation Center in Mexicali, Jesús Manuel López Moreno, stated: “Your coming here and caring for those [inmates] supports us in giving them the strength to say: ‘We are human beings. We have value because, when the time comes, we are going to reintegrate ourselves into society and we must be productive in it.’ . . . I am infinitely grateful for your support.”

Gamaliel Camarillo, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico, says: “The primary work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to help people, including prisoners, understand what the Bible teaches. A local congregation in Mexicali reports that at least eight individuals have been baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses while serving their sentences in the Mexicali penitentiary. We believe that people of all backgrounds should be given the opportunity to benefit from Bible education.”

Media Contact(s):

International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000

Mexico: Gamaliel Camarillo, tel. +52 555 133 3048