George L. (George Lewis) Herr

George L. Herr, also identified as George Lewis Herr, was an early 20th-century American prison evangelist and religious writer. In The Nation Behind Prison Bars he presents himself not simply as an observer, but as someone deeply involved in ministry among incarcerated people, using the book to describe prison life and argue for spiritual and moral reform.

Project Gutenberg’s edition of The Nation Behind Prison Bars lists him as the author of several other works, including Light in Dark Places, You Are My Prisoner, The Life Line, Man's Worst Enemy, Nothing Better, The Missionary, The Bethel, Lost and Is Found, and A Glorious Rescue. A contemporary bookseller’s description of Light in Dark Places portrays him as a widely known prison evangelist who spent decades ministering to prisoners, which fits the strong sense of mission that runs through his writing.

What makes Herr interesting today is the mix of testimony, social observation, and advocacy in his work. He wrote for readers outside prison walls, trying to make the lives of prisoners visible and to persuade the public that redemption, not only punishment, mattered.