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6/2/2005
A Kentucky judge is allowing some
drug offenders to choose attendance at a house of worship over a prison
sentence or a stint in treatment, the
Louisville Courier-Journal reported May 31.
Many judges offer alternative sentencing, but Laurel District Judge
Michael Caperton may be the only one to sentence offenders to church.
"The goal is to help people and their families," said Caperton, a devout
Christian. "I don't think there's a church-state issue, because it's not
mandatory and I say worship services instead of church."
Scott Ray Hays, 40, is one smalltime offender who chose to attend
religious services. "I stopped going to church a long time ago, but I
think going back might help me get my life straightened out," said Hays.
"This is the first time I've heard of anything like that," said Bill
Dressel, president of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev.
"Alternative sentencing usually requires that people give something back
to society through public service."
Civil libertarians questioned the practice. "The judge is saying that
those willing to go to worship services can avoid jail in the same way
that those who decline to go cannot," said David Friedman of the
American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky. "That strays from government
neutrality towards religion."
Caperton has offered the church option to offenders in about 50
misdemeanor alcohol or other drug cases. "I saw that our drug problems
were getting worse and worse and decided we needed to try something
new," Caperton said. "All the feedback I've gotten on it has been very
positive."
Source:
Join Together
Online.
Join Together is a project of the
Boston University School of Public Health |
