Thursday, April 15, 2004


Yahoo! News - First Women's Faith-Based Prison Opens
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The nation's first faith-based prison for women opened in a Tampa-area detention center Wednesday, nearly five months after a similar program began for men.

About 300 female prisoners will be confined at the Hillsborough Correctional Institution, all volunteers who agreed to participate in a program combining vocational classes with worship.

To avoid legal challenges, no state money will be used for religious instruction. Volunteers will provide religious services and materials. Any religion may be represented at the prison, and no prisoner will be required to participate in religious activities, officials said.

The beginning of a scary trend? And if they are not required to participate, why bother? Would they then be sent back to "regular" prison?

In a way it reminds me of my time "in the joint" (ha ha- it was like summer camp) We had a former preacher thumping his Bible as he sang the praises of the AA program in an entirely Chrisitian point of view. ("Je-SUS will save you! Say Amen!") Yes, I found it offensive, but not wanting to make waves in the two weeks I was there, I just smiled and listened. I imagine a lot of prisoners do the same.