Law suit contests prison ministry programs ...

[headscratcher4]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64760-2003Feb12.html

[shecky]

Yet another reason to get religion while in prison. From the looks in the picture, all we need are a bunch of skinheads well versed in scripture. :rolleyes:

[Checkmite]

Prison isn't summer camp. Conditions are supposed to be sufficient, not luxurious. Effectively giving prisoners lighter sentences if they decide to become Christian is just plain wrong. The convict isn't there to go to church, he's there to be isolated because he stole something that belonged to somebody else, vandalized someone else's property, or ruined (or ended) someone else's life. I wonder how many of these people are actually naive enough to believe that even the bulk of their born-again inmates are being honest.

[I'll_buy_that]

Well, this is one good reason to take up religion in prison. Why wouldn't you? something to do, private bathrooms, more freedom?


This brings up the observation that a lot of people in prison take up religion and begin to say it changed their lives, the born again phenominon (sp?).

anyway, why do you think it changes their lives? do you think it is the fatalism that they like? (it's not my fault) or the forgiveness? (I'm not really that bad) or the thing that usually attracts the downtrodden (there is a better life somewhere kind of the meak shall enherit the earth / a rich man cannot get into heaven kind of teaching that attracts a lot to religion)

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by shecky
Yet another reason to get religion while in prison. From the looks in the picture, all we need are a bunch of skinheads well versed in scripture. :rolleyes:

LOL..:D

[SimonJohnMorgan]

I have to confess, that whilst I think the US has far too many lawsuits, I hope they win. Unless there is a similar program for Islam, Paganism, Aethiesm*, etc, in which case I think it's okay. Whilst I disagree with any religion, most provide/are selectively read from and interpreted to provide some form of moral framework (even if you don't agree with the details - which I don't) which is what I guess prisoners need. Don't forget prison is there to punish, act as a deterrent, and to reform**

*Okay this would have to take the form of some form of ethics discussions, etc, but you get the drift.

**Which I do genuinely believe in. Not that I think it does a good job of reforming, just that is what it should be there for in principle

Yet I doubt anyone would get their underwear in a bunch if the inmates were given Sagan and Randi books or any other skeptical bibles, or encouraged to research atheism.

[Ladewig]

Moreover, he said, prisoners who have gone through InnerChange's oldest program -- established in Texas in 1997 -- have a repeat offender rate of "only 8 percent, as compared to general recidivism rates of over 50 percent and a control group rate of 20 percent."

If it is a voluntary program, how did they choose inmates for the control group? Did the control group have everything the Christian group had except the Bible study?

[Plutarck]

Originally posted by Whodini
Yet I doubt anyone would get their underwear in a bunch if the inmates were given Sagan and Randi books or any other skeptical bibles, or encouraged to research atheism.

And yet most of us would probably be against programs sponsored and enforced by the government to teach about the holyness and the glory of The Most Holy Ressurrection of the Third Reich.

Oh, but I forgot, the JREF is a cult, and critical thinking and skepticism is a relgion. How silly of me :rolleyes:

[arcticpenguin]

according to two lawsuits filed yesterday, they are given keys to their cell doors, private bathrooms, free phone calls -- even access to big-screen TVs.
I would think giving them the keys to their cells would be enough, then they could escape and get the other stuff themselves.

[gmol]

I'm not sure I'd care what was in their prison library.
The point is that they were being *rewarded* for 'immersing themselves" in Biblical study (state/religon, you know the rest of the song).

I think people would have just a big a problem to reward inmates on how much they immersed themselves in astronomy.

Actually I may take that back as I bet there have been fewer people who were criminals and astronomers as there were people who were criminals and christian (including those dman christian astronomers!) :).

Originally posted by Whodini
Yet I doubt anyone would get their underwear in a bunch if the inmates were given Sagan and Randi books or any other skeptical bibles, or encouraged to research atheism.

[stamenflicker]

If it is a voluntary program, how did they choose inmates for the control group? Did the control group have everything the Christian group had except the Bible study?

That's a good question. It sounds as though they just compared the christian group to a general prison population group-- maybe with similar offenses/backgrounds?

Flick