Ala. town's criminals get choice: Jail or church

CBS

BAY MINETTE, Ala. - Authorities say non-violent offenders in southern Alabama will have a new choice: Go to jail, or go to church every Sunday for a year.

CBS News affiliate WKRG-TV in Mobile reports that Operation Restore Our Community begins next week.

(Scroll down to watch a report from WKRG-TV)

The city judge in Bay Minette will let misdemeanor offenders choose to work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine; or go to church every Sunday for a year.

If offenders select church, they'll be allowed to pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and police.

If the one-year church attendance program is completed, the offender's case will be dismissed.

Bay Minette Police Chief Mike Rowland says the program could change the lives of people heading down the wrong path. So far, 56 churches are participating.

[Username_number_343234]

If this is only for Christian churches, I understand and I'll explain:

Most offenders are Christian anyway. And the Muslims almost always convert IN prison FROM Christianity.

Let's face it, most dirtbags in this country ARE Christian. I say let them go to church and let the few remaining in jail serve their time in peace--in a skeleton crew of non religious.

(On a more serious note, I disagree with this. It stinks as usually these things do. It's been a while since I've listened to Free Thought Radio by the FFRF, I wonder if they've talked about it...)

[edithgalt]

Finally, an admission that church, org. religion of any kind, = jail!

[splashy79]

This is appalling. Talk about forcing people to be in a certain religion!

Typical right winger, that thinks that it's fine to force people to be in a religion whether they want to or not. Totalitarian creeps.

[sleepingtolive]

Using three scenarios, I will attempt to show how this violates the equal protection clause.

Scenario 1: Judge gives a choice between jail or attending a Mosque.

This violates the equal protection clause, because giving this choice to a Christian is not equal to giving this choice to a Muslim.

Scenario 2: Judge gives a choice between jail or attending a Mosque, Buddhist Temple, or Synagogue.

Even though the judge has made the choice more inclusive, this still violates the equal protection clause because, once again, giving a Christian the choice of attending one of these religious institutions is not equal to given a Muslim, Buddhist or Jew this choice. Regardless of how inclusive it is, as long as there is no choice to attend a Christian church, Christians are not being treated equally under the law.

Scenario 3: Judge gives a choice between jail or attending a religious institution of your choice.

Here the judge attempts to avoid unequal protection by allowing the person to chose the religious institution, but, by not allowing a secular choice, has provided unequal treatment for non-religious individuals. The non-religious individual in this scenario is in the same situation as the Christian in scenarios 1 and 2. Providing a choice between jail or the non-religious person attending a religious institution is the same as providing a choice for a Christian between jail and attending a Mosque, Buddhist Temple or Synagogue. Regardless of how many choices there, the absence of a secular choice creates inequality. Just as no matter how many religious institutions are listed, if a Christian Church is not on that list, Christians could rightly claim they are being treated unequally.

[liberalwoman]

If going to church keeps people from doing bad things, why are the jails so full in the south? Many people here go to church several times a week and still, the police stay busy. Seems this is not so much about setting people on the right path as it is about filling the pews.

[Alan_San]

So the choice is go to jail and get a$$-f'ed, or go to church and get mind-f'ed?

Seems like you're guna get f'ed, one way or the other...

[rareandfirsts]

Okay.... How many Mosques, Buddhist Temples or Pastafarians reside in that county?

Oops. Gotta be a Christian Church or or a Jewish Temple or you won't be "rehabilitated."

[Motleigh]

Can Pastafarians serve their sentence at the Olive Garden?

[WWDIII]

Don't most oppressive theocratic governments suck?

Then again, Alabama has always been a third-world crap-hole, anyway.

[JohnnyDale7]

I know the church option sounds like the easy one at first - I mean who wouldn't rather go to a free comedy show every week than go to jail. Beware however than on week two you'll realise you've heard all the jokes before, and still have another 50 weeks to go.

[MarilynLaCourt]

The first commandment:
And god said, "Love me or go to hell".

[MarilynLaCourt]

And the judge said,
"Love god or go to jail".