Deadly prison fire in Honduras.

Tuesday night, a fire burned an overcrowded prison outside the capital, Tegucigalpa. The 900-bed prison was operating at nearly double capacity. The cause of the fire is unclear; however, one possible source is an inmate who set himself on fire intending to kill everyone.  On Wednesday, 357 prisoners were missing and over 250 were dead, with many others believed to have escaped into the countryside.

Most of Honduras’ 24 prisons operate far above capacity.  “The appalling living conditions are a cause of the frequent riots which break out across the region, and a source of frustration for exasperated relatives” (Agence France-Presse, February 16, 2012).  

This prison fire and its results are tragic!  But they highlight how man’s justice system is ineffective and inhumane. The ways of man may seem right to him but ultimately lead to death (Proverbs 14:12).  Today, many families fail to train up a child in God’s Way, and society ultimately winds up “caging” the rebellious adults in wretched conditions.

In God’s Kingdom, things will be very different.  Children will grow up in families where both parents are present and prepared to teach children God’s Way of life (Deuteronomy 4:8-10; Proverbs 22:6).  When children are raised God’s way and His laws permeate the land (Isaiah 2:2-4), prisons and their problems will become relics of history.  

For more information on this exciting future, see our booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?