Incarceration or Redemption?

Last updated on: September 24, 2014 at 4:27 pm by Jim Burklo

2 Comments

Incarceration or Redemption? 2014-09-24T16:27:40+00:00 Jim Burklo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The weekend of Oct 3-5 is a time for congregations all over America to reflect in worship on the issue of mass incarceration: for resources, see Justice Not Jails.

Today, over 2,000,000 Americans are in jail or in prison. We’ve got 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of its prisoners. More black men are under the control of the criminal justice system in America today than were enslaved before the Civil War began. Our prison-industrial complex has become the latest of a long series of forms of systematic oppression against people of color. Lawyer and activist Michelle Alexander rightly calls it “The New Jim Crow” in her recent book.

For decades, politicians got elected by promising to stop crime by catching criminals, casting them into prison, and, in more and more cases as time passed, throwing away the keys. Mandatory minimum sentences, “three strikes” laws, and trumped-up punishments for relatively minor offenses resulted from this perceived political calculus, continually ratcheting-up the harshness of our criminal justice system.

But today, the math makes no sense. Not for justice, not for public safety, and not even for politics. A confluence of events is leading America to look for those long-lost jailhouse keys. The moment couldn’t have come soon enough. It’s the good news that followed from the bad: federal, state, and local governments ran out of money. We can’t afford mass incarceration anymore.

Republican Tea Partiers finally have awakened to the obvious: big jails are manifestations of the big government they so despise. Why spend tax money on “three hots and a cot” for a prisoner jailed for a victimless crime? Liberals have been afraid to press for an end to mass incarceration for fear of looking “soft on crime”, but now that conservatives are changing their attitudes due to fiscal factors, the conversation seems politically safer. Too bad it was money and not basic human decency that drove us to this moment of opportunity for reform, but let us rejoice that the time for change has come. States controlled by Republicans are beginning to reduce their prison and jail populations by diverting criminals into rehabilitation or other community-based programs. California’s big “realignment” from state prisons to local jails is resulting in an overall lowering of the rate of incarceration.

A opportunity for further major reform approaches in California: Proposition 47. It reclassifies some petty crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, and re-sentences law-breakers accordingly, keeping people in their communities and out of state prison. It also reclassifies past petty offenders, enabling them remove felonies from their records. This will eliminate barriers to jobs, housing, student loans, and public assistance they need in order to redeem themselves in society. If the voters support Proposition 47 this November, California will lead the way for other states to make similar moves from incarceration to restoration.

We ask God to forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. One of our trespasses has been the unprecedented mass incarceration of mostly black and brown people for insufficient causes. For this social sin, we Americans must humbly repent and make restitution by offering them the chance to return to society and do the same.

(For more on the faith-based response to mass incarceration, check out Justice Not Jails and Progressive Christians Uniting.)

JIM BURKLO
Website: JIMBURKLO.COM Weblog: MUSINGS Follow me on twitter: @jtburklo
See a video interview about my new novel, SOULJOURN
See the GUIDE to my articles and books
Associate Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 23, 2014

Preventing Suicide is Possible: A Q&A with Author Karen Mason

Next Post

September 26, 2014 Mark Driscoll and the Amazing Technicolor Evangelical Funhouse Mirror Sexual Worldview (Swedish Batteries Not Included)

Recent Comments

2 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Author Interviews Battle Over the Body and Blood of Christ Bearing Beauty Book Reviews Christian Education christian spirituallity christianity Christmas Church Church Leadership Contemplation Creation Care Death and Dying Death Penalty Disruptive Change Disruptors Series Easter Education Evolution and Faith Future of Progressive Christianity Gun Violence Health & Wellness Holy Week Interfaith Israel-Palestine Leading Differently Lent LGBTQ Living with Cancer Meditations on the Cross Mental Illness millennials Mimetic Mondays Monday Meditations Movie Reviews New Monasticism Pando Populus Parenting Patheos 10+1 Q&A Series PC(USA) Politics Pop Culture Practical Theology Series Prayer progressive christian Race Relations Reformation religion Religion and Politics Religion in America Rethink Church Social Justice Spirituality Spirituality of the Body Stump a Scholar Technology and Faith Thanksgiving Theodicy Trust Me Church Uncategorized Why I'm Still Christian Youth Ministry

Select a Month December 2025 April 2025 January 2025 September 2023 September 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the primary currency in biblical times?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Copper Silver shekels Gold coins Bronze