Yesterday in Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. Prison Fellowship Ministries, Inc., (8th Cir., Dec. 3, 2007), the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a faith-based inmate rehabilitation program operated in an Iowa prison by InnerChange violates the Establishment Clause. The 3-judge panel included retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Even though inmate entry into the InnerChange program was voluntary and state funds were used only to pay for non-religious aspects of the program, the court held that direct payments to InnerChange for the years 2002-04 funded religious indoctrination in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. and Iowa constitutions. It also found an Establishment Clause problem because participation in InnerChange was available only to inmates professing Christian beliefs. In 2005-07, funding changed from cost reimbursement to a per diem payment. The court held that this did not convert the program into one of permissible indirect aid. The court also rejected defendant's reliance on Turner v. Safley, a Supreme Court case which in the court's view applies to free exercise, but not to establishment clause, challenges in prison settings.
The court however reversed the district court's order that InnerChange repay funds it received from the state for periods before the trial court found the program unconstitutional. The court also emphasized that the district court injunction it was affirming applied to InnerChange only so long as it received government funding for operating the Iowa program.
Both sides have claimed victory in the Court of Appeals. Americans United issued a release praising the ruling, saying it is a major setback for the White House's faith-based initiative. Meanwhile, InnerChange issued its own release, saying that since InnerChange now operates in Iowa without state funding, the 8th Circuit's ruling effectively permits it to continue and reverses the trial court's order for it to repay $1.5 million it previously received in state funds.Yesterday's Des Moines Register covers the decision. (See prior related postings.)
