Is this even legal?
MOBILE, Ala (Reuters) - Starting on Monday, nonviolent offenders in Bay Minette, Alabama, will get to choose whether to serve their sentence in a jail cell or a church pew.
Municipal Judge Bayless E. Biles is launching "Operation Restore Our Community," intended to function not only as a diversion program but also to address jail overcrowding issues in the southwest Alabama community.
Misdemeanor offenders will have the option of attending church every Sunday for a year rather than serve their sentences in jail. Participants must check in with both the police and a clergy member each week, and if they follow the rules can have their case dismissed.
Do we really need to incorporate churches into the prison industrial complex?
If your jails are overcrowded, quit sentencing people to jail time for smoking a joint and save space for the real criminals. Ya' know, the ones who wear suits and carry a Blackberry.
I hope this is challenged in court immediately.