British Ministry Report Promotes Faith-Based Partnerships In Corrections

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."