On Nov. 18, officials from San Quentin State Prison honored Willow Glen dentist Brad Walker with a key to the prison and named him volunteer of the year for his work with the inmates through Hitland Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit that he founded almost four years ago.

"Dr. Walker has proven to be a beacon of hope to the men that they, too, can enjoy the American Dream," San Quentin Public Information Officer Vernell Crittendon says. "He and his colleagues at Hitland Ministries instill values in the men so they, too, can have an understanding of what it takes to be a better person."

But Walker contends that he is not doing anything extraordinary—he is only fulfilling a calling to serve humanity.

Walker may have found an unlikely niche helping men behind bars spiritually, but that was not his initial intent when he founded Hitland Ministries in December 2001. His original purpose was simply to bring churches and charitable organizations out of buildings and into the community.

"I was working as a senior associate pastor at Celebration Community Church. I looked out the church windows and said, 'It's about them,' " he says, pointing out of a window to some passersby. "There was only a quarter-inch, glass barrier between us and them. I thought, 'Why don't we go to the streets?' "

With other like-minded parishioners and friends, Walker began organizing outdoor events, complete with free food and music. Because the cost of the events was completely covered by Hitland Ministries, he dubbed them "Paid in Full."

Giving the public something for nothing, Walker says, is one of the core principles of his organization.

"The spirit of volunteerism is giving a valuable commodity away for free," he says. "I can't tell you how many people look at me when I hand them a hot dog and ask me why I am doing that."

However, Walker has a very simple reason for embracing the spirit of giving.

"It opens the doors for us to reach out to people," he says. "You have to show compassion first."

Born and raised in non-denominational churches, Walker first learned the value of compassion from his parents, who were active in charitable activities. Today, Walker believes that demonstrating love and mercy to others is a means of worship. A devout Christian, he draws upon the teachings of Jesus to guide Hitland Ministries.

"The word Gospel translates into 'good news,' " he says. "In times of bad news everywhere, we are trying to do what Jesus actually said to do—to bring love and hope to those in need."

After members of the Trust Fellows—a spiritual, multi-faith group of San Quentin's prisoners who seek to teach values to other inmates—contacted Hitland Ministries, Walker decided to turn his attention to incarcerated men. In February 2004, Walker and ministry volunteers entered the maximum-security prison for the first time.

Getting inside the prison, however, was a sobering experience for people accustomed to freedom. Walker and his volunteers had to pass through several checkpoints before they could enter San Quentin. Trekking the block-and-a-half distance from the entrance of the prison to the main gate can require anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour, Walker says, because of security clearance requirements.

But the effort is well worth it, according to Walker, who believes in his organization's ability to have a positive impact on the prisoners' lives.

"Our mission is to instill values in the men so they are able to think positively," he says. "If they can exercise [these values], they will be better people."

To achieve that end, Walker and his associates organize musical events for the prison population, hold seminars and discussions and provide the men with a listening ear. For nearly a year, Walker has met with the Trust Fellows on a monthly basis to discuss a wide range of topics from abstract spiritual subjects to practical matters such as preparing a resume to mediating a disagreement. The main purpose of these meetings, he says, is to guide the Trust Fellow's mission to empower other prisoners.

People behind bars, Walker says, are ideal candidates for personal transformation.

"Prisoners have a lot of time on their hands to really think about life," he says. "If they can get it now, then they are making changes from the inside out."

Although Walker acknowledges that interacting with prisoners can be intimidating to people on the outside, he says he quickly lost any fears he had about working with the men.

"The media tells a story about the Big House. That these people are murderous savages," he says. "But I have found some of the most gentle, compassionate and intellectual men. The element of violence is there, but it is not what the media shows. There is not an impending sense of fear."

Crittendon says that Walker's compassionate approach to dealing with the prisoners has had a profound effect on men who might suffer from a poor self-image.

"The men see they are being dealt with by people who truly care about them," he says. "Dr. Walker and the volunteers came in as role models, and they are role models absent of biases about past wrongdoings. Many of the inmates don't like the person they are but don't have the tools to change. Hitland provides the tools."

One way Hitland Ministries seeks to guide the prisoners is by teaching them social responsibility. Crittendon says he was especially moved by the nonprofit's involvement in coordinating a walk-a-thon for the inmates. The prisoners solicited pledges and walked around the prison for two hours. At the end of the walk-a-thon, they had raised $5,000, which was donated to local schools to benefit athletic and music programs.

Walker says the inmates have reciprocated his kindness. To demonstrate their appreciation for Hitland Ministries' efforts, the Trust Fellows saved money from their jobs within the prison and funds given to them by family members to cater a banquet for the nonprofit's volunteers. The prisoners handed out plaques to honor Walker and the volunteers for their work within the prison.

Brian Rhea, one of the ministry's volunteers and one of Walker's patients, says he also was surprised by the people he encountered within San Quentin.

"San Quentin appears intimidating," he says. "That is one of the biggest misconceptions [that people on the outside have]. But the people that find themselves inside the prison are regular people who just made a series of bad decisions and wound up there."

In his interviews with the prisoners, Rhea says he was touched by the appreciation they felt for any small gesture of compassion.

"The inmates that I've interviewed have been overwhelmed that a local businessman would give so much time and effort," he says. "Many feel like forgotten members of society. Now, they know people on the outside that care for them."

The inmates, however, are not the only ones who have benefited from the ministry's outreach program. Both Walker and Rhea say that their lives have been transformed from their encounters with San Quentin.

"We leave with a renewed sense of compassion," Walker says. "Each of these men is someone's uncle, brother or son. They are just guys. I have more compassion for others and the conditions they have found themselves in."

And, Walker adds, visiting the prison has given him a stronger appreciation for something many people take for granted—freedom.

"I absolutely value my freedom more," he says, referring to his San Quentin visits. "If I can wake up and put my feet on carpet, I know it's a good day. I can go into my kitchen and pull out a cold soda from my refrigerator. They don't have that."

The program has been so successful for both the prisoners and volunteers that San Quentin officials have invited the ministry to continue its work. Although Walker is modest about his accomplishments, Rhea emphasizes that the dentist is the reason for the organization's popularity within the prison.

"Brad is very sincere and very direct," he notes. "He delivers on his promises. I think the prisoners are looking for someone real."

For more information about Brad Walker's organization, visit www.hitland ministries.net.