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British Ministry Report Promotes Faith-Based Partnerships In Corrections

By Howard M. Friedman

Today Britain's Ministry of Justice released a report titled Working With the Third Sector to Reduce Reoffending: Securing Effective Partnerships 2008-2011. Here is an excerpt:

3.3 Faith-based organisations make up a substantial part of the third sector, with a long history of working with offenders in prisons, through the gate, and in the community. This includes work that is non-faith-based; access to spiritual care and support for offenders who are of faith; and support for offenders returning to communities where faith is a strong part of the fabric of that community and where faith organisations can help build trust and acceptance and support effective reintegration.

Faith-based organisations can offer an invaluable link into communities, including to those who are not part of other networks or accessing mainstream services and support. Because religion occupies a central place in the culture and identity of many minority ethnic and refugee communities, faith-based organisations can be the principal gateway and source of support to these communities....

In response to the report, the British Humanist Association issued a statement expressing "extreme disappointment at the Government?s plans to further increase and promote 'faith' in the management of offenders, both in prisons and in the community."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on October 13, 2008 (boomark / email).