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| Riley asks churches to offer newly freed inmates services to help readjust to society | |||||||||||
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The Birmingham News Leaders from churches and charitable groups were asked to provide a wide range of services to former inmates, including employment assistance, housing, clothing, health care and cash. Riley said the state's churches can rise to the challenge just as they do in response to natural disasters such as hurricanes. "If we can motivate the faith-based community in the state the way we do during an emergency, then we can make a difference," Riley said to a group of about 500 people, mostly religious leaders. Bill Johnson, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said the state releases 11,000 inmates a year and isn't capable of providing the services necessary to help them readjust. Even if the state had the funds, such programs aren't popular with taxpayers, he said. The state will provide no direct funds to the program, called the Community Partnership for Recovery and Re-ent ry, but will coordinate the efforts of the churches and other volunteer groups. "We're admitting we can't solve the problem," Johnson said. At a meeting that vacillated between policy seminar and revival, state officials outlined their needs to religious leaders, who said they view the program as an opportunity to spread the word of God. Deborah Daniels, state director of the Prison Fellowship Ministry, drew a chorus of "amens" when she said faith is a necessary component of rehabilitation. "We allowed government to come in and take over what God's people are supposed to do," she said. "We talk about crime. But crime is sin. Apart from God, every child is troubled." Many in the audience came to their feet, some waving their arms and shouting affirmation. Vickie Locke, director of the new state program, told potential participants that they have an advantage operating outside of government. If a ch urch w ants to buy a car for a newly released inmate who lacks transportation, it can do so, she said. Government has to provide cookie-cutter solutions to sometimes complex problems. In a written program overview distributed to religious leaders, the state suggested 80 ways churches can help, including everything from financial counseling to cash for emergencies. Churches were told they might pay wage subsidies to businesses that hire former inmates, provide gift certificates to local stores and pay for haircuts and phone cards. They also could mentor former inmates, provide day care for their children and help them write resumes. The former inmates might find jobs at businesses owned by church members, organizers said. The state literature also suggests churches hold services at prisons, invite the newly released to church and otherwise help former inmates find "spiritual focus." Johnson, who stressed that the p rogram is about more than just material support, said it's the only one of its kind in the country and could become a model for national reform. Because the program receives no state funding and is open to all volunteers, regardless of religion, it doesn't raise issues of separation of church and state, he said. Alex Luchenitser, senior attorney with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said it's too soon to know whether the program will raise constitutional issues. But if the state government's involvement with the program ends with referring inmates to churches, then it likely would pass constitutional muster. "There's certainly nothing wrong with religious charities providing care for inmates and recently released inmates," he said. Organizers divided the state into eight regions, each of which will have an organizational meeting by mid-July. Leaders ultimately will be appointed in each cou nty to assess needs and coordinate services. The meeting for the region including Birmingham will be held July 8 at Samford University. |
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News