Issues in Criminal Justice (JF)
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Thank you so much for your quick and strong response to our Action Alert. Your calls flooded the Capitol and the legislators listened. The House and Senate conferees released their Appropriations Report which contained $63 million for the Second Chance Act. (For more info see Justice Fellowship's Second Chance Act page.)
This is a remarkable achievement in an atmosphere in which many programs have been eliminated. Congratulations to all of you who are working so hard in reentry and giving the "reentry movement" credibility with the remarkable success you are having in helping inmates successfully make the transition from prison to home.
Here is a list of programs funded by the $2.2 billion Appropriations Report:
- $63 million for Second Chance Act programs;
- $9 million for Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act programs;
- $470 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants;
- $6 million for comprehensive criminal justice reform and recidivism reduction efforts by states, also known as Justice Reinvestment;
- $35 million for drug courts;
- $10 million for residential substance abuse treatment programs;
- $20 million for Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act programs;
- $12.5 million for prison rape prevention and prosecution, and other programs.
While we are celebrating this important achievement, I also want to express our excitement that the Justice Fellowship team has been expanded to include two terrific leaders with great experience in public policy. Craig DeRoche, who served as Speaker of the House in Michigan, is our new Director of External Affairs, and Dave Louden, who served as chief of staff to several California legislators is our new Assistant to the President. God has blessed us by bringing such experienced and talented people to our team.
By the way, I am honored that Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM) has restructured our divisions and Justice Fellowship has been given a more prominent role within the organization with me serving as President. This shows the strong commitment of the PFM management and board to our efforts to reform the criminal justice system.
This Justice eReport marks a milestone for my work at Justice Fellowship – 15 years. We have accomplished much on behalf of the incarcerated - people who don't have a voice in the political process. Some of the highlights are passage of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act, and the Fair Sentencing Act. We have filed amicus briefs with the US Supreme Court to successfully defend RLUIPA (twice), strike down Juvenile Life Without Parole and expose the deplorable lack of medical care in California prisons. Justice Fellowship has worked with state legislatures, governors, judges and corrections officials to improve our prison system and prepare inmates for their return home.
I love this work because it brings people together, left and right, across all denominational lines. I have seen bitter political enemies join in our efforts for human dignity and basic rights... "The lamb and the lion shall lie down together."
One of the greatest joys of my work at Justice Fellowship is the letters from families impacted by our work. Julie Stewart of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) shared several letters from people impacted by the reduction in sentences in the Fair Sentencing Act, which we worked on for 15 years. Read ing the letter brought tears to my eyes. It is a true blessing to realize that we have brought justice for people who have no voice in government.
I'll quote from just one of them here, "...my son was released from a federal facility today thanks to the new legislative laws concerning unlawful crack sentences. He is on his way home to pick up where he left off with his children whom he had struggled so hard to take care of. I know he has a better outlook on life and better ways of doing things for his family and hopefully a lesson to teach his children. I intend to keep up with FAMM activities and will be sending contributions whenever I can to further your cause and help some other unfortunate families to reunite and take back their lives. Thank you again and God bless you all." I hope the readers of the Justice eReport will be encouraged by this letter. Your faithful work for justice in our system has made people's lives better. Thank you.
Of course, there have been some ups and downs along the way, but knowing that we helped a mother and her family reunite makes it all worthwhile. As St. James taught us, "I count it all joy."
And I wish you all a most joyful Christmas. "For a time God became a little lower than the angels...so He would not be ashamed to call us His brothers."(Heb. 2: 9,11)
In His service,
Pat Nolan
President, Justice Fellowship
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