Judge: Go Worship and You Can Skip Jail

[Gemtun]

Do you think it's appropriate for a judge to sentence an offender to attend worship services to avoid jail?

Judge: Go Worship and You Can Skip Jail

A devout Christian judge in Kentucky has an offer for some repeat drug and alcohol offenders: Go to worship services and skip jail or rehab. This alternative sentencing by District Judge Michael Caperton, 50, is being done to "help people and their families," he told The Associated Press. But it has some in an uproar, who insist it violates the separation of church and state.

"I don't think there's a church-state issue, because it's not mandatory and I say 'worship services' instead of 'church,'" Caperton told AP. Judges coming up with creative sentences that exclude jail is not that unusual. For example, a judge might order a vandal to repaint a wall he covered in graffiti. But legal experts told AP that they don't know of any other judge in the country who is giving offenders the option of going to church instead of jail. Although Caperton has made the offer about 50 times, it is not clear if the novel sentence has had a positive or negative impact.

The American Civil Liberties Union doesn't like it, insisting the worship instead of jail option raises constitutional issues. "The judge is saying that those willing to go to worship services can avoid jail in the same way that those who decline to go cannot," ACLU attorney David Friedman told AP. "That strays from government neutrality towards religion."

 

[deafclimber]

ahh that isn't right.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

The judge is entitled to his belief system, but he doesn't have the right to interject it into his rulings. The judge is basically saying that church is the only answer to her problems. That, to me, is a cop out. This woman needs to be sent to a treatment program, and he should have left the church out of it.

 

[diehardbiker]

I second that! Rehab is excellent, but not the best solution. It really depends on suspect's desire wheather to quit or not. If the suspect didn't demostrate that he or she really wants to straighten the mess then boot camp is best alternative. It takes one addict's own desire to straighten his or her mess, without this desire, forcing them into rehab would do very little to impact them. Forcing them into church is the WORST idea! Excellent idea for addict cause they would encounter innocent churchgoers and collect money to support their habits. Believe me, I once talk with an addict and he told me best place to con people is in church! They are way too innocent, and easy targets!

The judge is entitled to his belief system, but he doesn't have the right to interject it into his rulings. The judge is basically saying that church is the only answer to her problems. That, to me, is a cop out. This woman needs to be sent to a treatment program, and he should have left the church out of it.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

I second that! Rehab is excellent, but not the best solution. It really depends on suspect's desire wheather to quit or not. If the suspect didn't demostrate that he or she really wants to straighten the mess then boot camp is best alternative. It takes one addict's own desire to straighten his or her mess, without this desire, forcing them into rehab would do very little to impact them. Forcing them into church is the WORST idea! Excellent idea for addict cause they would encounter innocent churchgoers and collect money to support their habits. Believe me, I once talk with an addict and he told me best place to con people is in church! They are way too innocent, and easy targets!

I agree with you, for the most part. The only thing I can slightly disagree with you on is, that if an addict doesn't want help, then, not even boot camp is going to have an impact on that person. I do agree with you that the person has to want it, though. Otherwise, you can hang it up. The person will probably die from their addiction <s>.

As for addicts conning church goers, that's a good point. An addict will do whatever is necessary to further their addiction, and they are excellent con artists.

 

[Vance]

best place to con people is in church! They are way too innocent, and easy targets!

Indeed. That's why many philosophers and great thinkers stated: "Religion is a great tool to manipulate other people". It is SO useful that Hilter used it to convince the Christians and Fundamentalists in Germany that Germany was a Christian nation before became to Fascist.


Back to this topic, hmm I guess people can smoke the marijuana all they want and when the cops arrest them, they can always plead to go back to the church and when they allowed to go to the church... they will smoke again. The cycle repeatedly itself until that judge realize his/her own stupidity.

It sounds so cool! Ok, I am done with sarcasm.

Oceanbreeze & diehardbiker65, I agree that rehab or treatment programs will do the trick, not... church. As usual, I am all for the separation of church and state.

Meg, to answer your question: Do you think it's appropriate for a judge to sentence an offender to attend worship services to avoid jail?

I don't think that going to the jail will ever solve that problem... treatment program or rehab have somewhat higher chance to do the trick than staying in the jail ever will be. But it is inappropriate for judge to make a decision based on her/his stupidity.

 

[VamPyroX]

Jeez... he shouldn't be doing that to these prisoners. In fact, sending them to church might make them worse! Look at those *ahem* boy-loving priests...

 

[Nesmuth]

Yes that's the 'bizzarity' of the legal system. Nothing wrong with it legally. However people gonna make noise over it anyways.

Richard

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Meg, to answer your question: Do you think it's appropriate for a judge to sentence an offender to attend worship services to avoid jail?

I don't think that going to the jail will ever solve that problem... treatment program or rehab have somewhat higher chance to do the trick than staying in the jail ever will be. But it is inappropriate for judge to make a decision based on her/his stupidity.

Yes, I second that.

I believe that volience/drugs addiction children/teenagers and also offenders, too need real help instead of go to the jail.

Rehab. is an exellence choice!

 

[Malfoyish]

I do not believe church to be the answer to an offender's problems. I believe the offender will need to go through a thorough rehabilitation process, to INCLUDE jail time, community service, and if they choose, worship services as well, in ADDITION to all the rest. Worshipping is not to replace rehab of any form, of course. I do agree that a person who has trained themselves to lie and cheat and con to get whatever "fix" they need will not benefit from church alone. Most of 'em consider jail time to be a "temporary setback" and more than likely cannot wait to get back into the saddle. There's nothing the church can do, IMO.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

I do not believe church to be the answer to an offender's problems. I believe the offender will need to go through a thorough rehabilitation process, to INCLUDE jail time, community service, and if they choose, worship services as well, in ADDITION to all the rest. Worshipping is not to replace rehab of any form, of course. I do agree that a person who has trained themselves to lie and cheat and con to get whatever "fix" they need will not benefit from church alone. Most of 'em consider jail time to be a "temporary setback" and more than likely cannot wait to get back into the saddle. There's nothing the church can do, IMO.

I agree with you. I go back to what I had said originally. An addict will not kick their addiction unless they are willing to do so. Basicaly, their life has to get SO BAD that they see recovery as their ONLY option. It's called "hitting rock bottom". That rock bottom is different for everybody. Some may go to prison, and then clean themselves up. Others never get clean, and they die from their addictions. It really is up to the offender how their addiction progresses, and where it leads them.

I believe a church can help provide a support system for that person. A lot of the time, you see Anonymous meetings held at churches. I think this is good, because, it can provide a good support network for the addict. But, I believe church is to provide support only. It's apart of the solution, but not the solution.