Bureau of Prisons Reverses Policy on Religious Material
By Allie Martin, OneNewsNow.com
The president of Prison Fellowship says the Federal Bureau of Prisons has shown common sense by reversing a policy that would have limited the number of religious books in correctional facilities.
This past summer, the Bureau of Prisons announced it would remove all religious materials from chapel libraries, except for a limited number of resources, amid fears that Muslim groups were recruiting members in the wake of the terror attacks of 2001. Public outcry from chaplains, and from a diverse group of faith-based and religious organizations working with prisoners, was immediate. Now, the Bureau of Prisons has announced it is returning all materials removed in June, with the exception of any publications that could incite violence. Prison Fellowship president Mark Earley says the decision is sound.
“You know, churches over the years have donated literally millions of dollars’ worth of books to chapel libraries around the United States — that’s the only way these chapel libraries can get books — and it would have been a travesty and a complete lack of common sense to simply throw out all these good, wholesome, faith-based books,” says Earley.
In light of what he calls “horrible recidivism rates” in the U.S., Earley says authorities should be encouraging instead of hindering faith-based programs for prisoners. He cites statistics showing that two-thirds of prisoners released from prison are re-arrested, and half are back in prison.
“We need more opportunities that are faith-based for prisoners to turn their lives around, not less,” says the Prison Fellowship leader. “We were very concerned that this policy was going to deprive prisoners of some great religious materials … that have been given [to prison chapels] by local churches.”
Prison Fellowship worked with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to address the issue.
(Source: OneNewsNow.com)
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