Thursday, September 29, 2011

Church or the Clink?

Bay Minette, USA – Authorities say non-violent offenders in Bay Minette, Ala. now have a new choice: Go to jail, or go to church every Sunday for a year.

WKRG-TV reports that Operation Restore Our Community begins next week.

The city judge will let misdemeanor offenders choose to work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine; or go to church every Sunday for a year.

If offenders select church, they will be allowed to pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and the police department.

If the one-year church attendance program is completed successfully, the offender's case will be dismissed.

Bay Minette Police Chief Mike Rowland says the program could change the lives of people heading down the wrong path.

So far, 56 churches are participating.
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What do you think?
Which would you choose?

4 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I think church would be everyone's choice. Actually I think it is a good idea providng the criminal has only committed a minor crime.
Good post Gregg.

Yvonne.
ps: we're having a heatwave here, it's supposes to be hotter tomorrow.

Meghan New said...

You probably should have someone monitoring the folks to make sure they don't do something violent. Church might help if you go to a real church, but if you go to a seeker church, the guy might be even more in love with himself.

Either way, I still like the idea. My church would be so much smaller if it was not for former addicts, recovering addicts and former vagrants.

John Patrick Donovan said...

how long tell the aclu gets involved I wonder

Petra said...

He/she gets to pick churches. Sweet. That's like picking your favorite box of chocolate. Nice gesture, but I can't help to think that a true convict is better than a false convert. The former has a greater chance of realizing his true state in light of God's grace.