Arkansas Governor Defends His Version of Prison InnerChange Program

According to the Associated Press yesterday, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee says that his state prison's InnerChange program is constitutional. He says that the Bible-based program in the Arkansas prison system is sufficiently different from Iowa's that the recent federal court decision striking down Iowa's faith-based program should not affect Arkansas. Huckabee says that the Arkansas program is totally funded by private contributions, is totally voluntary and does not require Christian conversion or belief to participate. It is designed to give inmates the skills they need to succeed in society. The only state funding involved is used to house and feed the participating inmates.