Justice for Death Rows - Essay Example

?Justice Introduction The criminals tried in the courts of law are put into prison houses, which are expected to help these people rectify their criminal behaviors and become good citizens. These prison houses in this endeavor tend to punish these people further and isolate them from the society. To this end, the religious systems like churches are coming forward in helping the convicts lead a healthy social life in the future (McRoberts, 2002, p.1). Similarly, the churches are also endeavoring to create the lost faith in these individuals through the induction of religious studies like reading of bible, which are expected to help the convicts change their behavior (Johnson & Larson, 2003, p.7). The paper also focuses on a very sensitive issue of capital punishment rendered by the courts of law depending on the intensity of the criminal acts. This act of the court is largely contested based on the Christian views where rendering of Capital Punishment is straightly not allowed (Ness, 1994, p.3). The legal system and the rendering of justice is dealt along the study and analysis of three articles in the light of the views imposed by Christianity. Reforming Prisoners through Religion The aspect of reforming prisoners through the approach of religious institutions and not through putting them in prison houses is analysed based on Omar M. McRoberts article “Religion, Reform, Community: Examining the Idea of Church-based Prisoner Reentry”. This article came out during March 2002, as a Working Discussion Paper for the Urban Institute’s Reentry Roundtable (McRoberts, 2002,p.1). The religious touch rendered to the convicts helps them to bear the atrocities of the prison climates and a life isolated from their closed ones. However, the main problem in discussion is not of the prison days but rather of the future periods when the convict is made free. Here the person being freed from the prison earns a further challenge in search for a livelihood. These people in the large society feel somewhat insecured and loiter in search for both physical and mental sustenance to help them dwell in the external world. To help find a solution to the aforesaid problem the courts of the land along with religious institutions are increasingly working on the program on Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) to help the freed prisoners reenter their social and community lifestyles. This program largely focuses to help the freed prisoners gain a better occupational and domestic environment along with rendering mental support so that they do not take to drugs or get emotionally turbulent. The success of the program greatly depends on the activity of religious bodies like Churches, which are not only trying to help the prisoners sustain a healthy mental and physical life inside the condemnation walls but also working outside to help them reenter the social sphere. Churches with their alchemic touch are considered the main instruments that would help these individuals reenter the community circles, which fall under the governance of these religious bodies. Further, the Churches being religious bodies with an open outlook where they do not make any distinction between members and non-members are observed to be the spear headers of the community movement. The main focus of these programs with extensive religious collaboration is to totally change and transform the criminal psyche of the prison inmates into proper civilized mindsets. However, the present urban lifestyles are a bend of continuous physical and mental tensions often amounting to violent and turbulent activities. Thus, it is held that the Christian missionaries must aim at driving these people to cool pastoral countryside where they can leave a peaceful life and are freed from mental tensions. The freed prisoners settled along free quarters are widely encouraged to participate in the Sunday masses and are regularly associated with the Bible. These activities help cast a strong religious ferment in such people who gradually develop a civilized lifestyle to be urbanized in the future. The high amount of religious sentiments imbued in such people help them to bear the external disturbances without casting a change in their own behaviors. The Churches in this direction show many humanitarian understanding pertaining to the paradigms of belief, culture, and values while acting to make the people turn civilized and refrain their criminal activities. However, in many societies the religious activity of the Churches is greatly criticized for putting force upon individuals to take resort to Christianity and thus expanding their religion. Churches on the contrary are expected to uncover the roots to the social ills, which have let to the rise of criminal actions. Social evils like lack of proper education and food have made people get turbulent and anti-socials leading to rise of crime. Similarly, the disallowance of education to be granted to prison inmates paralyses the rehabilitation measures to make the criminals civilized. Thus, the Christian evangelists need to act as social reformers and activists to help design a better community. The evangelists view that the rise of criminal actions in a society is the failure of the urban atmosphere to hold to moral values. It states that where the individual not being properly rooted to religious groundings gave away to the disturbed atmosphere of the city lives the cities also failed to maintain its civilized and moral structure and values. Thus, the Churches put stress on the holding of Sunday meetings as rendering a helping hand in soliciting the required objective of making the people turn civilized (McRoberts, 2002, pp.1-5). Religious Programs in Prison The article “Inner Change Freedom Initiative: A Preliminary Evaluation of a Faith-Based Program” written by Byron R. Johnson and David B. Larson was published in the Center For Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society Report published in 2003. This article focuses on the induction of the prison inmates to the ‘Faith Based Program’ before their final release from the prison quarters. It focuses on the advantages derived from such program (Larson, 2003, p.1). The ‘Faith Based Program’ was launched during 1997 with the joint collaboration of the Department of Criminal Justice based in Texas and the Prison Fellowship Ministries. This program was made effective upon the prisoners who would be granted release within a smaller period. The unique feature of the program was its Christian orientation and was supported by the United States Government. This program was further extended to form the Inner Change Freedom to develop the mindsets of the prisoners. The Inner change Freedom program focused on tutoring the inmates that God, the Almighty is present to change one’s life from misery to comfort. The programs consisted of seminars that lasted for one to three days coupled with readings from spiritual texts like Bible. Further, these programs encouraged participation from the prison inmates to set goals about leading their lives on being freed from the prison. These programs are generated to help the prisoners sustain their mental status while being in the prison and help them to make plans for a civilized future by strengthening their relationship with the Almighty. It is observed that prisoners given the high amount of religious exposure would not commit crime at least for a year and hence would be free from being arrested again. The Inner Change Freedom program is generally rendered to the prisoners in two phases. The first phase is for 16 to 24 months duration before their release while the latter ranges for 6 to 12 months after release while being in parole. This program is constituted of activities like teaching of bible, training in practical skills to lead their lives and encourages the prison inmates to participate in groups. However, this ‘Faith Based Program’ was an open program and thus encouraged people from other religious backgrounds to openly participate in such. However, the criminals charged of having committed sexual crimes were strictly kept out from participating in these programs. The Inner Change Freedom Program earned success for it helped the prisoners to refrain from taking resort to crime for about a period of two years and to lead a free life. The Inner Change Freedom program in addition to helping the prison inmates lead a free life also worked to cause a spiritual development in them. Participants of such programs were quoted stating that by the will of the Almighty they were given a further chance to commence their life all over again. They felt as have been reborn and were mentally and physically charged to start a new life. The participants also felt an enhanced spiritual development inside themselves after participating in the program. In addition to developing a positive outlook in the prison inmates, the program also successfully cultivates an understanding in the prisoners to collectively work for the betterment of the society. Thus, the Inner Change Freedom program developed a civilized culture among the prison occupants by associating them with the Divine environment. However, some of the participants felt a sense of biasness in the program and complained of development of negative traits amounting from group conflicts (Johnson & Larson, 2003, pp.7-11, 22, 26-28, 31). Capital Punishment and Religion This issue is discussed based on the article “Capital Punishment: A Call to Dialogue” written by Daniel W. Vann Ness in 1994. The work was published by Center for Justice Initiatives based in United States. The article discusses on the conflicting relationship between the several religious texts of Christian Religion like Old and New Testament and of Biblical scriptures on the issue of capital punishment (Ness, 194, p.1). The Christian religion though direct their arguments based on separatist moves yet they all confer that Capital Punishment does gets operated against the will of God. However people abiding by the rules of Old Testament argue to support the event of Capital Punishment stating the Lord had granted the power to the State to execute offenders when required for meeting social ends. The Christians are divided amongst themselves for where some rely on the law books provided by Old Testament; other Christians quote the words of Jesus to resolve the issue. There are others who use the New Testament or simply quote the moral and ethical guidelines to clarify their positions. The Christian religion strongly condemns the issue of Capital Punishment. It states that every life on this planet is sacred. Thus taking away one’s life is a crime by itself and must be strictly condemned. However, the scriptures of the Old and New Testament run in conflicts for where Old Testament supports the issue of Capital Punishment in certain conditions New Testament totally forbids such actions. The scriptures state that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the salvation of the human race. Thus, people should develop their humanitarian values and not amount to murdering someone for cause of guilt. The Lord in turn asks everyone to forgive the evil deeds for it helps in gaining further mental strength. The Biblical scriptures quote in many areas the acts of Christ where he refrained from rendering capital punishment. Further, the New Testament also states many areas where though the State had power to execute an offender the government was expected to refrain from such activities. Thus though here the act of Capital Punishment is not strictly prohibited it is also not given ascension also. However, the scripture of the Old Testament lays down several guidelines of the necessity and the process involved behind the execution of persons guilty. In fact, Old Testament throws light on the different provisions, which had developed over periods to support the cause of Capital Punishment. Overall, though according to a part of the Christian religion, Capital Punishment can be enforced yet it must be comprehended against practical implications. Such practical considerations state that if the activity of Capital Punishment helps in securing and bettering the lives of others then it can be allowed. However, execution of the same must be conducted according to religious principles laid down in the Bible (Ness, 1994, pp.1-12). Conclusion The analysis of the three articles show that Christians have developed a humanitarian view in regards to the prison convicts. They with the help of prison authorities are trying to engage the prison inmates to such tasks, which would help, in their social development after being released. The Christian missionaries are carrying on tasks both inside and outside prison in an open manner to let the inmates learn and understand Bible so that they can develop their conscience and refrain from wrong doings. However, in regards to Capital Punishment the Christian religion possess conflicting views. References 1. Johnson, B. & D. Larson (2003), Inner Change Freedom Initiative: A Preliminary Evaluation of a Faith-Based Program, CRUCS Report, Retrieved on February 18, 2011 from: http://www.justicefellowship.org/images/content/justice_fellowship/documents/ifi_evaluation.pdf 2. McRoberts, O. (2002), Religion, Reform, Community: Examining the Idea of Church-based Prisoner Reentry, Reentry Roundtable, Retrieved on February 18,2011 from: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410802_Religion.pdf 3. Ness, D. (1994), Capital Punishment: A Call to Dialogue, Center for Justice Initiatives, Retrieved on February 18, 2011 from: http://www.justicefellowship.org/images/content/justice_fellowship/documents/capital_punishment_call_to_dialogue.pdf Read More