Texas town's faith-based prison plan questioned

Shallah Kali

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Fri May-13-05 12:16 AM
Original message

Texas town's faith-based prison plan questioned

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/11618514.htm

Tom Green County commissioners have signed off on a proposal to build a privately operated "faith-based" prison, billed as the first of its kind in bringing institutionalized Christianity into the cellblock.

Proponents say the prison, run by employees with a "Christian world view," would help criminals learn to be law-abiding citizens. They say it would help reduce the number of Texas inmates, believed to be as high as 40 percent, who eventually return to jail.

SNIP

"I'm worried that this might just be the flavor of the month: the belief that, if you turn them on to Jesus, they'll stop committing crimes," Boston said.

He was not swayed by promises that the private prison in San Angelo would not violate the Constitution. "It's a state promotion of religion, even if it's done through back-door channels," Boston said.

If Christianity was a prophylactic against crime there would be hardly in crime in the the US. For one example there not be child predators in the ranks of the Catholic or any other church. This prison is wrong not only because of the violation of the separation of church and state but because it simply won't work. I have spiritual faith but this is ridiculous. They can put up all the faith based prisons they want, they can tattoo the 10 commandments on inside of every child's eye lids, they could bring back school prayer but that won't stop crime. History alone proves that religious control of society does not stop it.

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Book Lover

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Fri May-13-05 12:22 AM
Response to Original message

1. And the prison authority doesn't want it!

But there is a hitch: Texas prison officials say they do not want to join the venture.

"We simply are not in the market for that kind of space at this time," said Mike Viesca, spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The department oversees state prisons, which are overcrowded.

With the state saying that it will not send inmates to the Christian-oriented private prison, supporters say they will rely on securing contracts with other states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to fill up the jail.

It's the county board that's set this in motion. And excuse me, maybe I'm such a bad ex-Catholic that I've forgotten something, but the irony of a Christian jail is just too much to bear.

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Erika

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Fri May-13-05 12:26 AM
Response to Original message

2. You got to wonder where Christianity comes into play?

Christ said forgive 7 times 7. Christ issued his Golden Rule which the Bushies have ignored. These prisons will be more like hell's prisons sponsored by GWB.

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punpirate

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Fri May-13-05 12:29 AM
Response to Original message

3. Since one of the growth industries in Texas...

... is privatized prisons, my guess is that this is not about ideology, but, rather, who gets the contract for that prison....

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sarcasmo

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Fri May-13-05 07:00 PM
Response to Reply #3

9. I think that holds true for many states.

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punpirate

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Fri May-13-05 07:48 PM
Response to Reply #9

10. If you're from Texas...

... then you know what I'm talking about. If you're not, try taking a ride through some of the rural areas in West and Central Texas and count the prisons.

Yes, it's happening in other states, but not to the degree it is in Texas. It's a far bigger phenomenon there. One of the reasons is that the average sentence in Texas is 37% longer than elsewhere in the country, and there are a higher percentage of the population incarcerated than elsewhere:

http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/20/20019.html

Cheers.

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funflower

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Fri May-13-05 12:35 AM
Response to Original message

4. This is a textbook violation of the establishment clause.

What could be a more coercive imposition of religion than imprisoning someone in a religious institution?

Maybe compelling a child's attendance at a school that teaches Biblical creationism....

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Fri May-13-05 01:09 AM
Response to Original message

5. Don't most prisoners "find" religion once they are in prison

anyway? I always felt it was a way of pulling the wool over the parole board and anyone else that could help them get out. Are these people really so blind? The business people that use the "a Christian Business" in their advertising around here are pretenders, they just use it as a marketing tool...I think it's that way with most of these pretenders...

This is just so full of shit: "Proponents say the prison, run by employees with a "Christian world view," would help criminals learn to be law-abiding citizens. They say it would help reduce the number of Texas inmates, believed to be as high as 40 percent, who eventually return to jail"

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Up2Late

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Fri May-13-05 02:00 AM
Response to Original message

6. Though I agree with what is posted here, it's hard to imagine...

Edited on Fri May-13-05 02:01 AM by Up2Late

this being much worst than the current conditions in the Texas prisons.

Here are some links, I can't remember which one of these pages it was on, but these pages are jammed full of links to stories of prisoners dieing from over heated cells and straight up prisoner abuse in Texas prisons, especially on the Texas Death row.

This is a Canadian Anti-US Death Penalty web site, it's not pretty, but I has a lot of good info:

<http://ccadp.org/TX-abuses.htm>

<http://ccadp.org/>

THE TEXAS PRISON ABUSE CAMPAIGN

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yellowcanine

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Fri May-13-05 09:32 AM
Response to Original message

7. This Robinson guy sounds a tad dangerous. Listen to this.

Robinson, who said he has devoted the last 20 years to building support for his prison idea, is relying on divine guidance.

"God's in charge, and his signature is good with any bank account," he said. "Whenever he gets ready to do it, it doesn't matter who opposes it, he'll get it done."

His signature is good with ANY bank account? Even your neighbor's?

An attitude like that could be used to rationalize a lot of wrongdoing. Lying, cheating, stealing, check forging for Jesus?

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Up2Late

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Fri May-13-05 12:05 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. LOL, New Bumper Sticker "God is my Co-Signer"

I guess hacking bank accounts is just God's way of collecting his 10%:evilgrin:

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