The Rule of Law

Now here’s a ruling we can get behind. In Des Moines, Iowa a judge has ruled that the Bible-based prison program Prison Fellowship Ministries violates the First Amendment’s freedom of religion clause by using state funds to promote Christianity to inmates.

1). Prison Fellowship Ministries was recently ordered to cease its program at the Newton Correctional Facility AND:

A. Repay the state of Iowa $1.53 million
B. Send a letter of apology to all non-Christians housed at the facility for what many perceived to be their intolerance of other faiths
C. Remove all Bibles that they gave away to inmates
D. Sponsor an interfaith symposium at the correctional facility

2). Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the suit against Prison Fellowship Ministries, says the group gave preferential treatment to inmates in their Christian program. Perks did NOT include one of the following:

A. Participation in a special Sunday brunch that served tasty, homemade dishes
B. Special visitation rights
C. Movie-watching privileges
D. Access to computers
E. Access to classes needed for early parole


ANSWERS
1. A: State prison officials have said that they hired the religious group to improve inmate behavior and reduce recidivism — not promote Christianity. “This calls into question the funding for so many programs,” said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the suit. “Anyone who doesn't stop it is putting a giant ‘sue me’ sign on top of their building.”

2. A: The inmates did NOT get special food on Sundays, but they did get special visitation rights, movie-watching privileges, access to computers and access to classes needed for early parole. U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt called the perks “seemingly minor benefits” that constituted unfair treatment to those not in the religious program. Despite any claims of rehabilitating inmates, the program “impermissibly endorses religion,” Pratt wrote.