LAWTEY, Fla. — Gov. Jeb Bush dedicated what he called the nation's first faith-based prison this week, telling its nearly 800 inmates that religion can help keep them from landing in jail again.
In addition to regular prayer sessions, the Lawtey Correctional Institution will offer religious studies, choir practice, religious counseling and other spiritual activities seven days a week. Participation is voluntary, and inmates may transfer out.
Bush lauded the inmates from 26 faiths for committing themselves "to a higher authority."
"This is not just fluffy policy; this is serious policy," he said at the dedication. "For the people who are skeptical about this initiative, I am proud that Florida is the home to the first faith-based prison in the United States."
Bush said it was the first prison of its kind, meaning a prison focused on encouraging the spirituality of inmates of all faiths. Other prisons have used religious thinking to try to turn inmates away from crime. From 1829 to 1913, for instance, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia used a Quaker-inspired system in which prisoners were isolated from each other and made to perform labor in hopes of encouraging spiritual reflection and change.
