Faith-based programs are becoming a more important part of the activities in jails and prisons around the country. Yesterday's newspapers carried reports on two of them. In Boulder, Colorado, more than 400 inmates at the Boulder County Jail regularly attend faith groups offered throughout the week. An Associated Press story reports that the programs serve nearly 1,000 inmates every year. 75 volunteers run more than 30 religious programs a month, serving not just Christians, but also Jews, Muslims and Buddhists.
The Tallahassee Democrat reports on the conversion of Florida's Wakulla Correctional Institution to a faith-based facility. The official designation means inmates must agree to attend religious or non-religious character-building classes and stay out of trouble. If they do not, they will be transferred to other less desirable prisons in the system. There are 3,000 inmates throughout the state on a waiting list for faith-based programs. The classes at Wakulla will be taught by volunteers in order to reduce the likelihood of church-state lawsuits. Wakulla, with its 1662 inmates, is the third prison in Florida to be designated faith-based and is the largest faith-based prison in the U.S.
