Dive deep into the weekly discussions that explore the intricate connections between Catholicism and the criminal justice system. Our goal is to enlighten, educate, and inspire change.
A person can serve their sentence, complete probation, and reenter society, with one glaring obstacle: a criminal record that follows them everywhere they go. It affects the process of finding a job, a house, and how a community views them in general. Is a criminal record a necessary means of ensuring a community’s safety or is it an inhibitor of justice?
Last week we talked about the role a community plays in rehabilitation, and acknowledged how the government and citizens ought to usher someone convicted of a crime and incarcerated back into society. Now, let’s focus on the internal aspects of rehabilitation, and what is required from the individual.
Who ought to be responsible for rehabilitation?
Can true equality ever be achieved, or is it an ideal that we can only strive toward?
Your view on rights as civil or natural can shape how you vote, what policies you advocate for, and whether you see legal changes as fulfillments or betrayals of objective moral principles (because, remember, you can believe in morality without believing in rights).
Consider all the rights the government guarantees us as US citizens. The Bill of Rights outlines all we can’t do and are entitled to because we are subjects of the United States. Can we draw the line between governmental rights and natural rights?
A bit of a long double today. Sorry that it took so long!
Do we have rights?
President Biden just commuted 37 of 40 death row sentences. This means their sentences are reclassified. Instead of being sentenced to death, their new sentences are life without the possibility of parole. I don’t think you need me to tell you how great that is. Biden saved 37 lives, all of whom were previously told their actions had denied their right to life. Biden’s action shows that our justice system no longer believes that, that perhaps nothing they did denied what made them human.
There is again another event that I think can say something about America and its conception of justice. Before I introduce the topic, which everyone has definitely already heard about, I want to establish why it’s important to think about a sort of national consensus on justice.
Hello,
How do you understand the Old Testament?
Faith and Justice is a blog dedicated to highlighting the significant intersections between Catholic Social Teaching and the Criminal Justice system. We believe in the power of informed dialogue and the importance of understanding complex social issues through the lens of faith. Each week, our posts delve into various topics including the injustices in our current system, the role of Catholic social teaching in advocating for justice, and real-life stories of faith influencing reform. Keeping issues central to our faith in the public eye creates a community more open to change.