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| Bible program ruled unconstitutional |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/05/2006 |
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DES MOINES, IA - A federal judge has ruled that a Bible-based prison program violated the First Amendment's freedom-of-religion clause by using state funds to promote Christianity to inmates. Prison Fellowship Ministries, which was sued in 2003 by a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, was ordered to cease its program at the Newton Correctional Facility and repay the state $1.53 million. The organization is based in Reston, Va., and operates in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Arkansas. On June 1, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee helped dedicate the group's InnerChange Freedom Initiative at the state prison system's Tucker Unit. The ruling in Iowa was welcomed by the head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the group which filed the lawsuit. "This decision has national implications," said executive director Barry Lynn. "This calls into question the funding for so many programs. ... Anyone who doesn't stop it is putting a giant 'sue me' sign on top of their building." Lynn's organization, which is awaiting a judge's decision in a similar case in Pennsylvania, accused the ministry group of giving the program's inmates preferential treatment. U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt agreed with Americans United's claims in the Iowa case, saying that inmates enrolled in the program had access to the "honor unit," which offered separate restrooms, dry cells and access to cell keys. The inmates were also given special visitation rights, movie-watching privileges, access to computers and access to classes needed for early parole. Pratt called the perks "seemingly minor benefits" that constituted unfair treatment to those not in the religious program. The InnerChange Freedom Initiative was implemented in Newton in 1999. State prison officials have said they hired the religious group to improve inmate behavior and reduce recidivism not promote Christianity. Lawyers for Prison Fellowship Ministries have argued that inmates have voluntarily joined the program and haven't been pressured into Christianity, though Pratt cited instances where inmates were required to participate in religious activities. |
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