Trial begins for Christian prison program (participants get early parole)

[truthpusher]

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051024/NEWS01/51024007/1001/HELP

Trial begins for Christian prison program
---------------
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 24, 2005
---------------
A Christian prison program subsidized by the state is discriminatory, giving preferential treatment to inmates who enroll, a lawyer for an advocacy group argued Monday.

(snip)

‘‘InnerChange has taken over an entire unit of a state prison and turned it into an evangelical church,’’ said Americans United lawyer Alex Luchenitser.

(snip)

Participants live in a special unit that is more like a college dorm than a prison, with separate bathrooms and doors that are unlocked by keys given to inmates, Luchenitser said.

They get special visits from family members and are guaranteed jobs and access to computers, benefits other inmates may not have access to.

InnerChange inmates receive classes required for early parole while inmates not enrolled in the program have to wait to take the classes.

They receive in-house discipline, which Luchenitser said ‘‘makes misconduct invisible to the Board of Parole.’’

(snip)

complete story: http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051024/NEWS01/51024007/1001/HELP

[madeline_con]

1. "... early parole ..."

So, if they find the lord, they get out early?

Morans!

[notadmblnd]

4. it's been my experience (sadly I've known a few)....

that almost everyone that has to spend time in prison finds god. It's also been my experience that when they've gotten out again, they forget about all that god stuff.

[BiggJawn]

12. Except for Chuck Colson...

He figured out a way to make a BIG buck at it...

[Judi Lynn]

2. Glad to see the administrators are being fair about this program!

This is really, really sad. It's going to be profitable to pretend to be "Christian" for inmates. Faith-based deception. Cool.

[longship]

3. Hey! Can a Xtian plea "religion" as an excuse for murder?

How about stealing?

I can't wait to see all the prisons in five more years of Bushville. Of course, by then every government building will have a steeple, a cross, and a huge decalogue monument.

[Eugene]

These "God Pods" have been tried elswhere. They're unconstitutional.

It is interesting that the program is also running
in Texas where the courts have already ruled
such schemes to be illegal.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. They're only illegal

if they're not "Christian".

[Trajan]

5. I utterly REJECT, as a US citizen .....

That religious prison programs can be used to shorten the jail terms of the people who commited crimes and received valid jail sentences with sepcific terms by a court of law ....

What a bunch of hooey ....

[fshrink]

6. We've got

faith-based education, policy, administration, justice, science, coffee... Why not prisons?

[murielm99]

7. Faith-based coffee?

What does it do for you?

Is it invisible, and you have to trust that it is there?

Do you have to trust that it is coffee, not something else?

If you drink lots of it, do you trust in God that it does not keep you up all night?

[fshrink]

9. Starbucks

selling god on their cups. See recent post.

[beam me up scottie]

8. Constitution?

What Constitution?

This is a christian nation and if them damn muslims, jews, atheists and the rest of the infidels want to deny our god, they can rot in prison.

Get saved, get out of jail free.

[killbotfactory]

10. What the fuck?!

This is bullshit!

[BiggJawn]

13. Hell, to get out early...

*I* would "touch the King's Shilling" and scream "Glory! Glory!".

Divine retribution? From WHO? Or WHAT?
I'm an Atheist, remember?

[Orsino]

14. We're training felons to assume a fake religious mantle...

...for early release?

Now we know where Jenna Bush will find her Cabinet members.

[noonwitch]

15. I don't have a problem with churches helping people adjust, but this

is different. This is giving inmates rewards for converting to a religion, which the government can't be doing.

I do think it's okay for churches and other community agencies to get government compensation for helping ex-cons find jobs, get counseling and positive support, etc., but the ex-cons should have a choice between religious and secular agencies to assist them. Some churches have great prison outreach programs, and some have great programs to help the inmates when they are released.

[WinkyDink]

16. It is not a long leap

from faith-based imprisonment and parole to faith-based sentencing to faith-based courts.
But then, we knew all along Bushco = American Taliban.