Prison Fellowship: Moral Problem at Root of Crime
Recent study on all-time high incarceration rates highlights need for Christ-centered rehabilitation programs, says Prison Fellowship Vice President
Pat Nolan, vice president of Prison Fellowship, says a new study reporting incarceration rates at an all-time high and the national reincarceration rate unchanged shows the need for Christ-centered rehabilitation programs that teach inmates how to live with a "moral compass."
The study released by the Pew Center on the States' Public Safety Performance Project on Thursday reports that 1 in 100 Americans are in prison. That statistic translates to approximately 2.3 million adults in U.S. prisons at the beginning of 2008.
Meanwhile, the national recidivism rate remains unchanged, the report finds, with about half of released inmates returning to jail or prison within three years.
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The stagnant reincarceration rate is a "shocking testament to the failure of our current prison program" and highlights the need for Christ-centered rehabilitation programs, Nolan told The Christian Post.
"At its root, crime is a moral problem" but traditional prison programs fail to address the moral aspects behind the crime, he said.
The result: packed prisons which are breaking the bank for state governments – at nearly $50 billion a year – while offering no guarantee of public safety, according to the study.
Lawmakers in Texas, which has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, virtually remade the state corrections systems last year in an attempt to avert spending millions of dollars on new prisons. According to the Star-Telegram, the state has been diverting more nonviolent offenders to probation, building treatment centers for dug and alcohol abusers, and easing punishment practices for parole violations.
Still, Nolan believes that it is important work with inmates to develop their whole person – spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically.
Programs like Prison Fellowship's InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) work with inmates two years before they are released and one year after, helping them to develop a "moral compass so they can live law-abiding lives when they are released," said Nolan. The spiritual and moral formation part of the program is based on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.
"Character is what you do when no one is looking, and we try to help them make moral choices in all circumstances," he said.
A study of the IFI program in Texas found that only 8 percent of graduates were reincarcerated after two years – a remarkable success rate compared to the national reincarceration rate.
The researcher found that mentors from the local church were the largest factor in helping the men stay on the right track.
For women inmates, who often suffer from domestic abuse or drug abuse, Nolan said the focus is on building healthy relationships. Prison Fellowship helps these women find a church where they can connect with loving members in a supportive environment, he noted.
To better assist returning inmates, both men and women, Nolan said Prison Fellowship is currently developing "communities of care" to help them find a home church and assist them in locating employment, housing, health care, and drug abuse treatment.
Prison Fellowship was founded by former Nixon aide Chuck Colson in 1976. It is the world's largest prisoner-focused organization that works with prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families across the United States and in 110 countries.
