More than two million people are serving time in America’s prisons. Nearly 700,000 offenders are released back into society each year. Studies show that 67 percent of these released inmates will be re-arrested and more than 50 percent will return to prison for committing new crimes within three years.
Founded in 1976 by former Nixon aide Chuck Colson and led by former Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, Prison Fellowship is the largest prison outreach and criminal justice reform organization in the world.
In this effort, Prison Fellowship provides ongoing support, recruitment, research, training, and resources to more than 20,000 churches throughout America. It also works with thousands more individual volunteers who are active in an outreach to the prison population and with inmate families.
Programs of Prison Fellowship include:
Outreach to prisoners and ex-prisoner transitional care
Assistance to families and children of prisoners
Advocacy for criminal justice reform
A 2002 study showed that faith-based prison programs result in a significantly lower rate of re-arrest (recidivism) than vocation-based programs—16 percent versus 36 percent—with a national recidivism rate of nearly 70 percent (Assessing the Impact of Religious Programs and Prison Industry on Recidivism, Texas Journal of Corrections, February 2002).
If Judge Pratt's ruling is allowed to stand, says Prison Fellowship president Mark Earley, it will "enshrine" religious discrimination. The ruling, he states, "has attacked the right of people of faith to operate on a level playing field in the public arena and to provide services to those who volunteered to receive them."
They are there for rehabilitation supposedly. Being exposed to morals interferes with this?
i personally know at least 11 people who benefited from this program...it is voluntary...and ALL of them are makeing a headway into a new life.....NONE of them have been back in....shortest term out to date, 3.5 years....longest 11 years....the program ministry makes a difference....
Mark Earley is a friend of mind and a fine man. I am so happy that he found this important position and this organization, rather than be lost in the very unimportant job of being governor of Virginia.
But it's OK to allow practitioners of the "Indian" religions to have sweat lodges on prison property. I wouldn't be surprised if they let them use peyote as well. A double standard?
NAH!!!
If the program used private monies to fund itself, I'd be 100% in favor of it. I cheer its methodology, results, and Christian compassion.
I, too, have problems with using taxpayer money to fund it. Keep government's corrupt and grubby paws off religion--government can only ruin it. What if a state decided to use millions of dollars in taxpayer money to fund a program that preached fundamentalist Islam to prisoners? Would anyone object to their tax funds supporting that?
This is an unconstitutional, though unsuprising ruling. Hopefully it makes it all the way to the Supreme Court where the majority of Judges actually care about what the Constitution has to say on the subject.
Meanwhile thousands of prisoners are being converted to radical Islam by the Muslim Chaplains
This is completely ridiculous.
This is ridiculous.
So let me get this straight. Britain is spending millions so Muslims don't sit on the can with thier backs to Mecca, but here in America, one nation under God, we now have no room for God in prison. Amazing that it's okay to attack Christians even though the US constitution forbids the judge from blocking a prisoner from practising his religion?
--Pratt ruled that the Iowa Department of Corrections must close the program within 60 days and that $1.5 million in contract payments
What is a prison fellowship doing taking money for things others do for free?
But Muslim radicals preaching in the slammer is perfectly OK? Hmmmmm ......
Time to bounce this one up the USSC. It would be a good chance to see who the new justices really are. These judges are destroying America. You can bet that more hearts are changed under this program than ever will be under the ordinary prision system.
So is this court going to outlaw another philosophy masquerading as a religion that actively promotes the murder of innocents?
I doubt it, because that philosophy has attained "politically correct" status.
Would anyone have a problem if we were paying $1.5 million in contract payments to Louis Farrakhan and his Nation of Islam?
This is judicial BS. Black Muslims can recruit in prisons, but not Christians? Enough is enough. Impeach the judge.