Faith-based prisons multiply

I found this story and I wanted to share it with you. I was able to tour the facility in Newton, Iowa that is a part of Chuck Colson's ministry and I was greatly impressed by how God was working there. I find it interesting how the church in the U.S. is focused so intently on "young families" especially in the middle to upper middle class. That is fine and all, but what about the marginalized? What about those in prison?

A friend of mine who is closely associated with mission work in Laos told me that the true church in Laos in in the prisons. The state run churches that exist on the outside stand for nothing. After reading this article I wonder if the true church isn't in the nice churches on the street corners, but in some cases in the many prisons which dot our country. Just something to think about.

By David Crary, Associated Press

RICHMOND, Texas — Killer-turned-artist Manny Hernandez on the prison where he's finishing an eight-year term: "It's a blessing to be here."

Fellow murderer and inmate Raymond Hall likens it to heaven.

"I love this place," says their warden, Cynthia Tilley. "It's so calm."

They're praising the Carol Vance Unit, founded in 1997 on the outskirts of Houston. It's the oldest of a rapidly growing number of faith-based prison facilities across the nation.

Even as they proliferate, fueled by the fervor of devout volunteers, these programs are often criticized. Evidence that they reduce recidivism is inconclusive, and skeptics question whether the prevailing evangelical tone of the units discriminates against inmates who don't share their conservative Christian outlook.

However, evidence is strong that violence and trouble-making drop sharply in these programs, and they often are the only vibrant rehabilitation option at a time when taxpayer-funded alternatives have been cut back.

Inmates at Vance offer another compelling argument. Unlike many of America's 2 million prisoners, they feel they are treated with respect. They have hope.

"A bunch of cats in prison, they never had anyone show them love — even their mother and father," said Anzetta Smith, who served 18 years for attempted murder before graduating from Vance this year. "You get in the program, and everybody shows you love."

Read the rest of the story.