Newton [Iowa] prison to end religious [Prison Fellowship] program that prompted legal fight

Newton (Iowa) Daily News ^ | Monday, February 25, 2008 11:26 AM CST

[newgeezer]

NEWTON(AP) — State officials say they will end a Bible-based treatment program at Newton prison that has been the subject of a five-year court battle.

The Iowa Department of Corrections has notified Prison Fellowship Ministries in Virginia that the program, called the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, will end by mid-March, prison spokesman Fred Scaletta said in a copyright story in The Des Moines Register.

Prison Fellowship sponsored a Christianity-based values program for inmates. It had a three-year state contract that ended in June. Prison officials had granted the organization a one-year extension with donations covering the expenses.

A provision in the agreement allows the prison to cancel the program if its enrollment drops below 60 inmates. That is expected to happen after a March 14 graduation ceremony for 27 prisoners, Scaletta said.

The program has been the subject of a protracted legal fight with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C.

The advocacy group has fought the program in court since 2003. It contends the program represents an unconstitutional merger of church and state. In December, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled that the program advanced religion at government expense and that taxpayer money could not be used to finance the program.

The program — and the court case — had received national attention because they were thought to be a test of President Bush’s push for faith-based initiatives.

Similar programs are sponsored by Prison Fellowship at prisons in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas. The program has been in place in Newton for eight years. It has operated solely on donations since July 1, 2007, when Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, signed legislation eliminating a state tax money appropriation.

Inmates in the InnerChange program spend seven days a week in work, education and prayer.

Prison Fellowship has contended the program is voluntary and produces secular benefits such as improving inmates behavior, reducing the number of people returning to prison and protecting public safety.

Former Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship Ministries, said Friday that he was not surprised by Iowa officials’ decision.

He said he does not consider the decision directly related to the federal litigation.

[newgeezer]

More details from the Des Moines Register article:

...
The faith-based program began in 1999 at Newton and once had more than 200 inmates enrolled there.

But Iowa prison officials stipulated last year that new inmates could not be enrolled in the program - a decision that guaranteed declining participation as prisoners completed the program, Earley said.
...

[vpintheak]

What a crying shame. A place where the Lord is really needed gets the axe.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Don’t ask Iowegians to think logically.

[Squidpup]

to be replaced by “Jihad 101”

[Shery]

Ah, but I imagine that it is okay to have a Muslim prayer time set aside, am I not right? We’d better wake up...forget taking the time to smell the roses...as there no longer are any!

[A_Former_Democrat]

The experiences that the men in my Tuesday Bible Study group tell of similar ministries are incredibly moving.

For someone to object to this just shows how deep the hatred is of atheists and the politicans/media who pander to them.

[newgeezer]

Don’t ask Iowegians to think logically.

1. Yes, they gave control of the state house, senate, and executive branch to Democrats.
2. As if Missouri is any better? (Let's give the bottom tier of Iowa counties to Missouri, and raise both states' average I.Q. ;O)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

As a native Iowegian, I have to say I'm disappointed in what the state's been doing with its various agencies. All the guys I knew at the Statehouse are gone, Bob Ray's retired. Benito Brandstad is president of the Osteo College.
I was stunned to read that Iowa is going to build a new prison to replace Fort Madison, but will keep the Fort open because state employees want it that way...

[Psalm 73]

I have done prison ministry - the miracle of changed (and saved) lives is breath-taking to see.
Prisons (like abortuaries) are such dark places - it's easy to see why satan would not want the Word preached there.

I remember several years ago I was helping wrap up at the end of a program at a woman's prison and the girls were each given a chance to say a few words about the program -
- one girl got up to the podium and after a few awkward, silent minutes, just belted out the most soulfull "Amazing Grace" I have ever heard - tears were streaming down her face (and ours, too).
THAT is the kind of thing that the ACLU and Americans United aim to put an end to.
God help us.

[DeweyCA]

I notice that the article didn’t mention anything about how this particular faith-based program drastically reduces the recidivism rate for the prisoners that are involved in it. Who cares if it works; we can’t have Christians helping to rehabilitate prisoners! The Christian-haters are tearing down our once-good society.

[vpintheak]

Hey! I am an original Iowegian. Outside of the rotten core of Des Moines, and maybe the Quad cities on the east side, Iowa is pretty darn conservative and Bible believing.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Western Iowa certainly is. Des Moines might as well be part of Minneapolis.

[newgeezer]

Outside of the rotten core of Des Moines, and maybe the Quad cities on the east side, Iowa is pretty darn conservative and Bible believing.

Uh, don't forget Iowa City, a blight on the entire state. Compared to Iowa City, Des Moines and Davenport are Vatican City.

[CDHart]

LOL! You sound just like my husband!

Carolyn (also in the Ozarks)

[vpintheak]

I consider the universities part of that center rotten core. I just forgot to mention them, Ames cannot be excluded.