Faith Based Prison Program Approved

For a change, a sane decision out of our court system.

From WorldNetDaily:

A federal appeals court has ruled that a voluntary faith-based prison program that has proven effective in reducing recidivism by half can move forward at an Iowa prison.

"We are grateful to the Eighth Circuit for refusing to handcuff people of faith who are helping corrections officials turn inmates' lives around," Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley said. "What was at stake here, at its heart, is public safety. The keys to reducing recidivism and protecting the public from repeat offenses are the very kinds of effective rehabilitation and re-entry services provided by the InnerChange Freedom Initiative."

"Prison inmates face daunting odds: statistically, two-thirds of them will be rearrested within three years of their release," said Sen. Fred Thompson, a candidate for the GOP nomination for president. "As a society, we must do something to reduce this number and help returning inmates break the cycle of crime.

It's refreshing to see a court do something RIGHT for a change. Our system is usually obsessed with a host of politically correct consideration, and in the past this has resulted in voluntary faith-based prison ministries being shut down due to the gross misinterpretation of the First Amendment and the myth of "separation of church and state."

Why should it be a novel concept, in a country founded by Christians on Christian principles, that the best way to reduce crime would be to introduce criminals to moral values?

Even Christians sometimes give in and do wrong, but the only way to truly redeem a life--especially one corrupted to the point of crime--is the regeneration that comes from being born again as a follower of Christ.

No one forces this on prisoners, but if they choose to participate in such faith-based prison ministries, they have a chance to learn a better way of living. They have a chance to learn that they are created in the image of God, and possess a dignity greater than what is reflected in a life of crime. And if they truly want it, they can get a new life--both here and for eternity--through these programs.

The only sane alternative to faith-based prison ministries is to lock up violent criminals for a long, long, long time. The public deserves no less than to to be safe. Locking up criminals is costly and essentially a dead-end for a human life; allowing them access to a positive moral code and a regenerated life is much cheaper, and the more humanitarian option.

Let's hope more court decisions clear the way for the better option for our prison system--and our society.