Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The chief and the pastor are talking about a new initiative that, with the help of a judge, would allow some first time offenders to wind up in church rather than jail.
Fifty-six churches have agreed to take part in Operation ROC: Restore Our Community.
"What we wanted to do is target that group of people who most likely would have a chance to be more productive in our community," Rowland said.
Advertise | AdChoices
Judges who currently sentence offenders to jail time or community service would have another option to offer qualifying first time, non-violent offenders. Instead of going to jail for a year, that offender could choose to avoid a cell entirely and go to Sunday church services for a year.
"We're hoping that," Rowland explained, "through this program for the next year, we will take a substancial number who are sentenced and turn them around and let them become productive people in the community."
This action is insane, as having grown up in an RCC I refuse to set foot in again, thousands of priests belonged in jail, not church. Fitting it is being done in rural, unsophisticated America.
This is blatantly unconstitutional. It allows someone to pay a civil "debt" by virtue of participating in religious ceremonies. It also forces, by government sanction, offenders to choose between a loss of freedom and affiliation with one of the participating churches.
I'd choose church over jail. I'm conversant with the Bible and can discuss it even if not believing it. I'd choose community service over either jail or church.
I wouldn't like this option since the churches will no doubt be leaning heavily on the person to convert and act in a supervisory capactiy to ensure they go each Sunday. I suppose if the option truly IS a year in jail it might seem better, but I'm actually doubting that would be the case. If someone could get away with church on Sunday then I'm guessing they would have a short sentence anyway and not an entire year in lockup. Jails are crowded ya kno. And it means their crime was hardly worth considering anyway. Church won't make anyone a better person or keep them out of jail.
The chief and the pastor are talking about a new initiative that, with the help of a judge, would allow some first time offenders to wind up in church rather than jail.
Fifty-six churches have agreed to take part in Operation ROC: Restore Our Community.
"What we wanted to do is target that group of people who most likely would have a chance to be more productive in our community," Rowland said.
Advertise | AdChoices
Judges who currently sentence offenders to jail time or community service would have another option to offer qualifying first time, non-violent offenders. Instead of going to jail for a year, that offender could choose to avoid a cell entirely and go to Sunday church services for a year.
"We're hoping that," Rowland explained, "through this program for the next year, we will take a substancial number who are sentenced and turn them around and let them become productive people in the community."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
