Mainline churches condemn Canadian prison expansion

By Douglas Todd

 

The mainline Anglican, Catholic, United and Lutheran churchse don't make the news much any longer in Canada. And they are often ignored when they speak out in the name of social justice.

But an organization that represents 11 of the largest Christian denominations in Canada hit the headlines when it told the federal Conservative government they don't want to pay for its prison-building agenda.

 

The Church Council on Justice and Corrections wrote a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper criticizing legislation that the group expects to dramatically increase the number of convicts and cost a fortune.

 

The council has created a graphic titled Prison Facts: The Co$ts (see below).

It demonstrates the savings it says could be achieved by keeping non-violent offenders out of jail. The graphic is being distributed through church email networks.

 

The Church Council on Justice and Corrections is a 39-year-old organization, which consists of representatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Salvation Army, the Christian Reformed Churches and the Mennonite Central Committee.

 

Evangelical Lutheran national Bishop Susan Johnson is among those who has written to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews to protest against the planned prison expansion.

Church Council representative Lorraine Berzins said:

 

"It goes so much against all the evidence about what keeps communities safe, and it does so much harm, and they are going to spend so much money, that it's really surprising there isn't more opposition."