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BOP Flip-Flops on Religious Texts

By TChris, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 10:57:20 AM EST
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The Bureau of Prisons has never been responsive to groups that advocate for prisoners' rights, but it turns out that BOP listens to Republicans and evangelical talk show hosts. The Bureau reversed its decision (reported here) to purge prison chapel libraries of all religious texts that aren't on a government-approved list. The new plan seems to be a selective purge.

In an e-mail message Wednesday, the bureau said: “In response to concerns expressed by members of several religious communities, the Bureau of Prisons has decided to alter its planned course of action with respect to the Chapel Library Project. The bureau will begin immediately to return to chapel libraries materials that were removed in June 2007, with the exception of any publications that have been found to be inappropriate, such as material that could be radicalizing or incite violence. The review of all materials in chapel libraries will be completed by the end of January 2008.”

What standards will govern the determination that a religious text is "inappropriate"? Will those decisions be free from religious bias? Don't expect BOP to answer those questions.

more...

Oddly, this paragraph appears in today's national print edition of the New York Times but is omitted from the linked online version:

[BOP spokeswoman Judi] Garrett declined to elaborate on the progress of re-stocking the prison libraries. She said the effort "is beginning immediately," but she would not say when it would be completed or which titles are being kept off the shelves or identify the criteria for such decisions.
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    BOP Flip-Flops on Religious Texts | 3 comments (3 topical)

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    The Times is a serial offender of (none / 0) (#1)
    by scribe on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 11:41:58 AM EST
    wiping parts of the print article from the website, though they're surely not the only one.  

    But, more seriously, immediately before checking in and writing this comment, I had a German radio station streaming in, and they had a discussion (host and local theologian*) about the current Pope's emphasis on reading the texts of St. Augustine.  The host was discussing the various upsides and downsides of this - how Augustine was considered one of the sources of the Catholic Church's antipathy toward the sensual, etc.  Then, they got to one of the more (for them) controversial issues - Augustine's antipathy toward the Jewish faith, and how that was used to justify anti-Semitism.

    All of which is foundation for my asking the question:  

    Given the checkered history associated with the writings of St. Augustine, particularly the violent anti-Semitism associated with it (and the many, violent prison gangs which have anti-Semitism as a part of their credi), will the Bureau of Prisons deem the writings of St. Augustine suitable for inclusion in the chapel libraries, or will they deem them incitements to violence, etc., and keep them out?

    And, if they keep them out, what will they tell the Pope?

    Not that I'm expecting an answer or anything....

    ---

    * It's a cultural/artsy station.  This year, one of the "big" local events on their cultural scene is an anniversary surrounding a local saint important in the development of the early Church, so they've had program after program about early-church history, etc.  Last year was a big Mozart anniversary, so every day they had a well-known actor reading from Mozart's letters, to show - I guess - the day-to-day of being a genius....  Go figure.

    yeah, if you read (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 05:37:31 PM EST
    st. augustine's writings, he's pretty damn scary. in fact, he'd kind of fit right in with the current crop of republicans.

    i recall many sermons predicated on his writings. it wasn't until much later, when i actually took the time to read some of them for myself, that i truly realized what a nutcase he was. i guess all that fasting and celibacy, etc. takes a toll on you mentally.

    I hope the.... (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Fri Sep 28, 2007 at 04:49:54 PM EST
    prisoner advocates and the religion advocates keep on the BOP's case till 2008 when (or if?)we get the revised banned (or approved) list.

     

    BOP Flip-Flops on Religious Texts | 3 comments (3 topical)

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