Pursuing a Christian Idea of Criminal Justice in the Jeff Sessions Era

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Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2017

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since assuming office, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has shown little interest in expanding the efforts of his predecessors in curbing policies that criminal justice reform advocates blame for America’s high rates of mass incarceration. Instead, he’s doubled down, recently instructing federal prosecutors to pursue the harshest penalties for drug dealers and gun violence offenders. (Read his memo.) Sessions’ intentions are discouraging news for those who have long pressed for reform, a group which includes Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship. They also present an opportunity for Christians to speak into America’s anti-drug policy, one of the “biggest catastrophic failures in American history, says Craig DeRoche, Prison Fellowship’s senior vice president of advocacy and public policy. Christians ought to get “involved because our values are are at stake and a lot of human lives that God cares about...are at stake,” said DeRoche. “This is an invitation for Christians to engage.” DeRoche joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editorial director Ted Olsen to discuss the good intentions behind mandatory minimums, what the Old Testament has to say to our current legal climate, and how Prison Fellowship ended up partnering with the NAACP and ACLU to support previously incarcerated people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:20.6	Music Michael Del Rosario at apologetics guy.com.
0:32.2	You're listening to Quick to Listen.
0:39.5	Each week we go beyond hashtags and hot takes to discuss a major cultural event. Today we'll be talking about criminal justice, reform, and specifically what changes are coming to that, especially under
0:44.9	new Attorney General Jeff Sessions. I'm Morgan Lee. I'm an assistant editor here. And in the
0:50.4	studio with me is Ted. Again, hi, Ted. Hi, Morgan. I'm the go-to replacement for Mark Galley.
0:57.1	It's kind of fun that way. It's great to have you here. Now I just kind of like take for granted that you're here,
1:01.0	but as you know, as everyone should know, Ted recently came back from Nairobi. I am in this new role
1:07.1	as editorial director for Christianity today. Still getting my feet wet on that job.
1:12.8	Tell us the 10-second
1:13.9	cool thing that you miss about Nairobi
1:15.8	now that you've been back
1:16.7	for a decent amount of time.
1:17.9	Being able to see lions
1:19.1	eating in the wild
1:20.7	20 minutes after leaving my apartment.
1:22.7	That is the awesomest thing.
1:24.6	Wow. That's still crazy.
1:25.9	I've tried to think where you could go
1:26.9	20 minutes away from here and see anything.
	...

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