In this raw and courageous conversation, Matthew Melvin shares the devastating consequences of one impulsive decision—and the 36 months he spent inside prison enduring relentless bullying, isolation, and injustice. Through unwavering faith, Scripture, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, Matthew reveals how God sustained him behind bars and transformed trauma into testimony.
In this gripping episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Matthew Melvin, author of Bullied Behind Bars, to uncover a story most people never hear—and many don’t want to face.
Matthew shares how a depressed state of mind and a toxic work environment at a car dealership led him to make an impulsive decision that altered the trajectory of his life. What followed was a series of legal consequences that resulted in two separate prison sentences totaling 36 months. Despite a late autism diagnosis and eligibility for mental health court, Matthew was denied that path and instead processed through the standard court system—leaving him with a permanent record and limited options after release.
Inside prison, Matthew became a target. As a gay, Christian, conservative man, he endured false accusations, threats, bullying, and repeated placements in solitary confinement. Rather than remaining silent, Matthew advocated for himself—writing grievances, contacting legal counsel, and refusing to disappear quietly. This resistance resulted in being transferred through ten different institutions during his second sentence.
Matthew describes solitary confinement as both the loneliest and safest place he experienced. Locked down for 23 hours a day, surrounded by chaos and screaming, he found unexpected peace through Scripture, prayer, fasting, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Though the system had control over his body, Matthew testifies that they never had his mind.
A pivotal moment in Matthew’s faith journey occurred years earlier, when he narrowly avoided a catastrophic highway accident. That near-death experience became the wake-up call that shifted him from being a “lukewarm Christian” into surrendering full control to Jesus—not as a passenger, but as the One steering his life. Matthew reflects on how that spiritual turning point sustained him through everything that followed.
Throughout the episode, Matthew and Wendy discuss forgiveness, accountability, and justice. Matthew openly acknowledges his responsibility for the actions that led him to prison, while also naming the unjust bullying and systemic failures he endured. Forgiveness, he explains, does not mean forgetting—but it does mean refusing to remain imprisoned by bitterness.
The conversation also turns toward men’s emotional health. Matthew speaks candidly about how many men struggle to identify emotions beyond anger, often suppressing sadness until it erupts destructively. Drawing from his work with men’s groups, he introduces the concept of naming emotions honestly and taking ownership through “I” statements as a pathway toward healing and maturity.
Matthew closes the episode by encouraging listeners—especially men—to seek community, speak truthfully, stay in the Word, and resist isolation. Healing, he emphasizes, happens in honesty, vulnerability, and accountability.
This episode is a sobering reminder that redemption is possible even in the darkest places—and that God’s presence is not limited by prison walls.
Book: Bullied Behind Bars (available on Amazon)
Website: https://bulliedbehindbars.com
Email: bulliedbehindbars@gmail.com
Instagram: @bulliedbehindbars
X (Twitter): @BarsBullied
Facebook: Matthew.melvin.5621