Project for Opportunity and Safety

Political, Faith Leaders Call for Criminal Justice Reform

If there’s one political topic that doesn’t seem to be driving a wedge between Americans in this heated election cycle, it’s criminal justice reform.

The issue has received attention from the president, federal lawmakers, and even beyond the Beltway with state policymakers and influencers.

Today, another voice joins the chorus of those advocating for change.

Prison Fellowship launched what it calls the “Faith and Justice Fellowship” — a bipartisan collection of members of Congress, governors, and state legislators from both sides of the aisle whose goal is to promote and advance criminal justice reforms.

The primary focus is on the values of human dignity, redemption, and restoration.

Counter arguments often suggest supporters of reform are “soft” on crime.

But with skyrocketing incarceration rates after decades of mandatory minimum sentences, more conservatives and faith leaders are joining the call for reform.

“I don’t view this as anti-conservative at all. In fact, I view it as the natural outgrowth of being conservative,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also a founding member of the Faith and Justice Fellowship.

“Conservatives, after all, believe that due process and fairness are important. We need to do this carefully and we need to make sure the punishment fits the crime,” he added.

“This is important work. It really does bring us together,” said Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Ill. “It gives a chance for Republicans and Democrats; House and Senate; liberals and conservatives to say people matter, lives matter, families matter. This is an important thing for us to do.”

Prison Fellowship is the largest outreach to prisoners in the country.

It was founded by former Nixon aide Chuck Colson, who served time behind bars for Watergate and became a respected Evangelical leader before he died in 2012.

Yet, today fewer pastors have contact with people serving in jails or prisons according to new information from LifeWay Research. Consequently, prison ministry isn’t a priority for churches.

“When half the pastors haven’t had someone from their church sent to jail, then prison ministry isn’t on their radar,” Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research told Christianity Today.

While an overwhelming majority of Americans support criminal justice reform, the chances of making those reforms a reality are slowly slipping through the cracks.

As the clock ticks towards the November general elections, it becomes increasingly difficult for any legislation that isn’t deemed “must pass” to make its way through both chambers of Capitol Hill and to the White House.