Alabama town proposes church in lieu of jail time

[cleanhippie]

Alabama's inmate population is soaring. Jails are overcrowded.

In Bay Minette, a series of community meetings between police and churches resulted in a plan to send qualified first time, non-violent offenders to church instead of a jail cell. The police chief views the church option as being similar to the community service option, saying it does not violate separation of church and state because the "church sentence" is optional. Convicts can choose whether they will take part. Rather than going to jail for a year, the convicted person could opt to go to Sunday church services for a year.

"It's not a crime prevention program," says the chief of police, who hopes the program will turn lives around. "It's a crime intervention program."

56 churches have agreed to participate in "Operation ROC," which stands for "Restore Our Community." Rev. Bruce Hooke, who is anxious to take part, opined,

"Most of the time they've got to get in the right place to hear the right thing, and that's the word of God."

http://www.goddiscussion.com/79886/alabama-town-proposes-church-in-lieu-of-jail-time/

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Here we go again....

[bowens43]

1. Personally I'd prefer jail. nt

[Firebrand Gary]

2. Hahahaha

[AnOhioan]

3. Yep

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[struggle4progress]

5. small town, rough economy. i'd bet this is some pol's idea for budget balancing

[trotsky]

8. Do you think the Chief of Police is lying, then? n/t

[struggle4progress]

10. just tolya what i think: "this is some pol's idea for budget balancing"

[trotsky]

11. Because obviously True Christians wouldn't do this kind of thing.

Yeah, I know the drill.

[struggle4progress]

13. I don't vote there in Baldwin county

[Jokerman]

6. More religious nut-jobs wiping their ass with the constitution. n/t

[Owlet]

7. Roc - a mythical giant bird

Seems an appropriate name for the program.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. There are a lot of judges who

routinely spit on the Constitution. They still take church attendance into account when deciding a criminal's sentence. Some judges even give breaks to criminals whose parents attend church. There's a structure built up to keep us all in line and serve TPTB, and a lot of churches are sadly part of that structure.

[rrneck]

12. Grover Norquist is loving it. nt

[Rob H.]

14. "...the "church sentence" is optional."

Technically, yes, but the other "choice" is going to jail for a year. Not really much of an option, imo.