new state prison

Plans for New State Prison Invokes Opposition

By Henrietta Gomes
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 1/11/07)

If plans for a 1,024-bed state prison in Grayson County proceed, it will be the fourth state prison in the southwest region of Virginia. It would also be one too many jails in the state, according to Father Gerry Creedon, who serves as chair of the diocesan Peace and Justice Commission. Prison expansion is not remedial nor does it reduce recidivism, the priest said. Recently, Father Creedon wrote a letter to Gov. Timothy Kaine urging him to, “discard the notion of building new prisons…”
Last month the governor announced plans to borrow $100 million to build a medium security prison, which is purportedly needed to house a growing number of inmates. However, according to Father Creedon, who also serves as pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Arlington, the number of inmates would decline if the state invested in helpful programs within existing jails. He stressed the necessity of providing education, life skills and offender aide restoration, which would help people integrate back into society. “There needs to be a reordering of priorities,” he said, noting the need for rehabilitation both in and out of the jails. The priority, he said, is to reduce criminal activity and keep people out of prison.
He explained that the United States has a higher percentage of people in prison than any other country in the world. Additionally, Father Creedon believes the state of Virginia has overbuilt prisons. Through his involvement in prison ministry he has learned that neighboring states are sending their inmates to Virginia’s correctional facilities.
Referring to a document written by the United States Catholic Bishops, titled, Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, the priest said, “We need to emphasize restorative justice.” He continued, “When people are not rehabilitated, they relapse.”
The need for rehabilitation, which the bishops discuss in their statement, is very palpable to Father Creedon, who spends his Monday evenings offering Mass for prisoners at the Arlington Detention Facility. He also provides spiritual direction and counsel for the prisoners. “Jails are filled with petty criminals,” said the priest, adding that “Many of those who are behind bars would be better off in treatment facilities.” He said many prisoners suffer from mental health disorders and addictions.
Members of the laity have also expressed similar concern regarding the newly proposed prison. John Horejsi, coordinator of Social Action Linking Together, reacted with considerable alarm when he first heard the news. Another prison would be a “monumental drain on taxpayers,” said Horejsi, a parishioner of St. Mark Church in Vienna. “It’s cheaper to spend money on treatment that works rather than criminalizing mental illness,” he said. The large percentage of inmates who have mental disorders is evidence that the state is inadvertently criminalizing those who need treatment, said Horejsi, who is heavily involved in prison ministry.
Similar to Father Creedon, he noted that it would be lucrative for the state to invest in programs focusing on parenting and anger management within the existing jails. According to Horejsi, the preventative type programs have been successful in other states, and could be successful in Virginia if given the chance.
Although he opposes the idea of building more jails, Father Creedon does not de-emphasize the need for prisons. “Offenders do need to be punished and society must be protected, however, the whole approach to rehabilitation needs to be emphasized more…There will always be a need for people to be incarcerated, yet [currently] there is an over emphasis on the punitive aspect.”
The jail proposal will be one of the issues examined during this years’ General Assembly, which convened on Jan. 10. For a copy of the bishops’ statement regarding restorative justice, log on to: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/criminal.htm.