There's the joy of seeing lives really change. Then there is the heartache watching tremendous potential in people destroyed, often for no good reason. Caught between observing a myriad of rules and security issues and providing spiritual care for prisoners creates a lot of pressure. I emphasis the need for unity in the body of Christ. Most prisoners don't have a lot of religious background, but what they do have they tend to emphasize.
Division is a primary problem for the church behind bars.
This can cause more harm then good. Those seeking answers or the newly converted are confused and discouraged with the division and religious bickering. But before judging the situation too harshly, consider what your church might be like if you had 20 doctrinal opinions all vying for attention every day. Pollan relates that the intense concentration of interaction is a key problem. The men eat, sleep, work and hang out together everyday.