The historical common narrative is that the United States of America is a country founded on the rule of law. The perceived underlying assumption is that the law will be applied equally and justly to all people. There would be no group privileged nor would any person or group be singled out for extra punishment. The reason the symbol for justice is blindfolded is that all will be treated fairly – justly. When we stop and explore the founding constitution, we realize that full equality (voting rights) applied only to white, male land owners and people of color only counted as three-fifths of a person. Another faulty assumption is that when someone breaks trust with society by committing a crime, that once found guilty by a jury of his/her peers, there will be an opportunity for rehabilitation. Once the “debt has been paid to society” the person will have a real opportunity to reenter society and live a respectful and respected life. The bad news is, that in today’s America, there are many systemic barriers put in place that greatly hinders the successful reentry process.
The Colorado Council of Churches has created a Criminal Justice Reform Task Force to enable the faith community to address these issues. As in all actions of the Council, the initiatives are based on denominationally approved Public Policy Statements. The statement Criminal/Restorative Justice reads:
Criminal/Restorative Justice
In his ministry, Jesus advocated care for those who were in prison. His concern was not tempered by the cause of their incarceration. He encouraged the disciples to visit those imprisoned. In the letter to the Hebrews, the Christian community was urged to identify personally with those from the churches who were in prison: “Remember those who are in prison as though you were in prison with them;” (Heb. 13:3)
As disciples of Christ, the member denominations of the Colorado Council of Churches respond to Jesus’ mandate by visiting those in prison and jails, by praying for those incarcerated, and by providing spiritual care services.
Therefore, the member denominations of the Colorado Council of Churches support legislation:
- which protects the human dignity of prisoners,
- which preserves their civil rights,
- which enables their spiritual growth,
- which facilitates the healing of victims and offenders alike,
- which enables mediation,
- which fosters community support.
As a vital part of accomplishing these goals, we support state-paid, professionally trained chaplains in penal institutions. We also support the concepts of restorative justice and alternative sentencing.
In addition, the member denominations of the Colorado Council of Churches support legislation that will reduce the implementation of the death penalty:
- the elimination of the death penalty coupled with the option of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
- a moratorium on the death penalty.
- any reduction in the offenses that may qualify for the death penalty.
The Criminal Justice Task Reform Task Force, presently comprised of representatives from the African Methodist Episcopal Church – Adrian Miller, Chair, Rev Pam Myrtis Mason, United Methodist Church – Jeri Dwyer, Unitarian Universalist Church – Rev. Jann Halloran, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Brad Wood, has designed an eight part program to allow congregations and concerned people of faith to address these issues. It has been intentionally designed to allow for those who find it meaningful to address immediate needs through “hands on” efforts and for those who prefer to work on addressing systemic issues and opportunity to find their own way of being involved in making a difference. There is also an educational component that will enable a significant portion of the faith community to become informed about how our society is failing to live up to those basic assumptions. The eight part program is:
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COLORADO COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
(Walking Together in Faith, Working Together for Justice)
Criminal Justice Reform Task Force
- Create a Book of the Year program for CCC.
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Request all clergy to purchase and read it
- Request clergy recruit at least 3 members of congregation to purchase and read
- Purchase 100 copies and give to leaders in Colorado who can make a difference
2. Recruit volunteers (retired educators) from communities where there are state prisons to teach in prisons for GED, ELL, etc.
This program has been approved with enthusiasm by the Director of Department of Corrections. Training is required and is provided by the DOC.
3.Create a program in conjunction with Department of Corrections where congregations across the state will collect used books and contribute them to the DOC to stock the prison libraries.
4.Create a criminal Justice page on our web page. Fill with resources, information and links including access to affordable, quality health care..
5.Create our own “Angel Tree”
Identify congregations around the state that are presently involved in some way in prison ministry. Get them to identify specific needs (including money) that would enhance and empower their program. List those needs by congregation as “tags”. Encourage other congregations to “pull off” one of the tags and to take it upon itself to partner with that congregation.
6.Work with the Director of the Colorado Public Defender office to enable the faith community to assist the Public Defender’s office in facilitating the already existing program of sealing or expunging the records of those offenders who qualify and are approved by the local prosecutor.
7. In order for persons to be successful in re-entry of society, one of the essentials is access to affordable and quality health care. We are joining our partner Together Colorado in working toward that end. www.togethercolorado.org/issues/health.
8.Partner with Sen. Bennet’s office to change regulations which prohibit released felons from accessing public housing, food stamps and quality health care.
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Praise for The New Jim Crow
“Now and then a book comes along that might in time touch the public and educate social commentators, policymakers, and politicians about a glaring wrong that we have been living with that we also somehow don’t know how to face. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander is such a work…. Alexander considers the evidence and concludes that our prison system is a unique form of social control, much like slavery and Jim Crow, the systems it has replaced…. [She] is not the first to offer this bitter analysis, but The New Jim Crow is striking in the intelligence of her ideas, her powers of summary, and the force of her writing. Her tone is disarming throughout; she speaks as a concerned citizen, not as an expert, though she is one. She can make the abstract concrete, as J. Saunders Redding once said in praise of W.E.B. Du Bois, and Alexander deserves to be compared to Du Bois in her ability to distill and lay out as mighty human drama a complex argument and history.”—The New York Review of Books, March 2011
The Colorado Council of churches is declaring The New Jim Crow as the book of the year for 2013. We are asking each pastor to purchase and read a copy. We are also asking each pastor to recruit 3 lay leaders from your congregation to purchase and read a copy. (Our practice is to never ask just one lay person to read something because as they get excited they can feel very isolated. Three can work together and be supportive of each other.)
Special Discount
The Colorado Council of Churches has negotiated a special 40% discount with Cokesbury on Hampden Ave in Denver. Simple email them at de****@co*******.com , identify yourself as with the Colorado Council of Churches and you will receive the $11.98 price for the paperback copy. Order as many as you want at this price. Cokesbury has agreed to mail however many you order for one flat price of $3.
Study Guide
An excellent study guide is available from www.sdpconference.org for $10.
Privatization of Prisons
The Colorado Council of churches stands opposed to the privatization of prisons where the state guarantees to fill so many beds for a for-profit corporation. Additional information can be secured at www.sdpconference.org.
Denominational Statements on Criminal Justice
Several denominations have produced statements regarding criminal justice in the United States. Presently we have links to
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
Unitarian Universalis: http://www.uua.org/statements/statements/13397.shtml
Our Partners on this Issue in Colorado
Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition – www.ccjrc.org
Colorado Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty – www.coadp.org
Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition – www.cjdc.org
Colorado Public Defenders Office – www.coloradodefenders.us
Colorado Department of Corrections – www.doc.state.co.us
