Criminal Justice

This is a picture of water boarding.  Water boarding isn't justice.  That's torture and it's not what I'm promoting here.  Christopher Jacobson is a blogger with a web site concerned with criminal justice.  You won't find water boarding or any type of torture on his site.  Criminal Justice is a site that promotes education. It's a fair, balanced and informative site disseminating subjects concerned with justice.

Once in awhile on The One True Faith blog, you'll see me refer to my "cloistered brothers," as insiders--opposed to myself as an outsider (one who doesn't live there).  One of the posts on Chris' Criminal Justice blog is on "How to thrive on the Inside."  I call your intention to it.  Excellent as this posting is, it doesn't mention my area--the Faith aspect.  I only see prisoners turn around through Faith and often wonder how it's done without religion.  From reading Chris' blog, I see the same aspects at work, except I think it's harder without the community support belonging to a faith based group.

When a prisoner enters the system they lose their social connections.  There's no family, no spouse to confide in, no siblings, and no friends.  You don't know who to trust.  It benefits the "insider" to develop a tough, independent, strong personna.  If one is not strong, then he better align himself to one is in.

The temptations are strong.  There's gambling, sex, and even alcohol and drugs.  If one wants to stay away from those temptations and become rehabilitated, how does one do it?  It's very hard on your own.  You need the support of a community.  Hence, religion is a good bet.  MCI Norfolk, the state prison I volunteer in, has the Bethany Community.  It works because it's a very good community.  We come to know each other, pray for each other's needs, and support by caring.  IOW, we're an "inside" family.  That's the secret of the Bethany Community.

Give the Criminal Justice blog a look/see.  It's an excellent reference tool.  I've book marked it.