03/22/2012

Draft of the Criminal Justice Social Statement Released by ELCA

CHICAGO (ELCA) - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is addressing issues in the U.S. criminal justice system and has released the Draft Social Statement on Criminal Justice.

While the ELCA affirms the fundamental principles of the U.S. criminal justice system, such as due process of law and the presumption of legal innocence, the draft also recognizes serious deficiencies - overly harsh sentencing and persistent inequalities based on race and class. 

The draft statement calls ELCA members to ministry and compassion through four practices: hearing the cries of those affected, accompaniment, hospitality and advocacy. It asks members of this church to recommit themselves to visiting the prisoner; correct the flawed criminal justice system; participate in God's work with hands and hearts and to hear the cries of people affected.      

The task force has invited the ELCA's 4.2 million members to contribute responses, due Oct. 31 and will use feedback to prepare a proposed social statement with implementing resolutions for the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.  

Read the draft statement, Hearing the Cries: Faith and Criminal Justice and the Draft Social Statement on Criminal Justice.