Theological Thursdays: How Shall We Treat the Detained?

Well said. County's posture indefensible.

I would think that this might be the type of issue which could generate a sustainable picket line protest of some sort. I don't go to church myself, but if this issue qualifies in the views of clergy as important enough, then sermons on same could be issued. Priests could organize volunteer parishioners county wide. If there were a few from each congregation, how many would that be in total? Maybe every volunteer for the picket line only does three hours a month each because there's so many volunteers. What do you need? A handful of people outside manning the post, protesting, daylight hours. More effective if it's different folks all the time. Keep a continuous presence in front of the holding center, handing out a simple argument, as above. Hold placards calling for letting inspectors in.

It would turn up the heat.

Just incredible that the County can continue to stonewall on this very serious issue. This is just arrogance and a lack of basic decency by all those involved. It is also important to remember the holding center is used to house those accused of a crime, not convicted. Chris Collins and Sheriff Howard need to be held accountable for their lack of leadership and refusal to take responsibilty for this disaster.

missed you, rev. drew.

as bini says, everyone arrested for a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

if mistreating the accused (and convicted) was all it took to prevent further crime, there'd be no return trips to the penitentiaries.

so let's stop doing it. not only does it not produce the desired result, it brings lawsuits, federal authorities, and shame to our doorstep.

This should be a lesson for liberals, socialists and communists about government solutions for human sufferings.

Back in the late 1800s it was depression was called the vapors or melancholy. Interestingly enough prior to the 1800s the medical prescription was vigorous sex then as a actual treatments were developed it was believed that sunlight was therapeutic and cities started building solariums which through philanthopy turned into sanitariums. They were built like the Richardson as cities within cities where the mentally and emotionally ill and the handicapped could live out the remainder of their life within its confines. Contrary to the movie "1flewoverthecoockusnest" places like the Richardson were built by philanthropists to be the height of technology and amenities. Many had farms, bowling allies, theaters, hair salons, onsite medical and dental, etc.

The state eventually took over places like the Richardson which continued to grow as more people became committed as permanent life long residents until the 1970s when sanitariums were consuming up to 25% of the state budgets and with decreasing care and decreasing quality until the stereotypes of squalor and inhumanity became the norm. The entire sanitarium institution collapsed in the 1970s when they were closed and replaced with outpatient care. Those who couldnt adjust were left abused, homeless and wandering the streets. You see them even today.

(Which is why anyone considering national or state run healthcare should look at the 100 year devolution of the sanitarium system from its height to its collapse as how national or state run healthcare would eventually be high quality, then be rationed, then fall into a state of inhuman and unsustainable treatment until it collapses and returns to the private sector)

The 2 issues that come to mind immediately are:
1) the path of children in public schools which no longer teach discipline, morals, ethics, respect for religious faith and pretty much warehouse kids while collecting their generous tax legislated benefits. Meanwhile entire segments of the public school population follow the truancy, then delinquency, then dropout, then jail, then prison path but these arent criminals by nature but kids often boys neglected by a society that wants to focus on girls.
2) the other path is what has become the criminalization of mental and emotional issues that come from any number of sources (some environmental such as unemployment, divorce, death of loved ones, debt, etc) some permanent. Many of those people arent criminals but are having difficulties coping and because there is no real means to address this...they are processed through the criminal system

There can be no humanity unless justice and our healthcare and our educational system address the real issues and the real sources people are having. Placing troubled kids and criminalizing mental and emotional health issues only exascerbates the limited ability to cope that these people have until they break.

Yes there are real criminals but as I said, most are people who made the wrong decisions, who lack opportunities or employment, lack support systems to cope with say a death or a debt. We learn in the new testament there are many who if given the tools, the coping mechanisms, the support systems and the grace will go on to live normal lives. Its actually cheaper to offer job subsidies and healthcare than it is to incarcerate someone in jail or prison or the now defunct sanitariums.

There is no greater contributor to the problems we see than lack of education, lack of jobs, lack of financial stability, lack of security, lack of food and healthcare. The system we have now, except for unemployment, forces complete destitution before assistance is offered or criminalization arises. By that time, they have already lost a great deal of who they were as a person to normalize their life.

There is a role for government but as we see repeatedly the government is a better setter or rules and auditor of compliance than it is in communist style execution and provider of service.

One too many deaths before action to take place. Very sad, yet typical in this state to move at a slow pace and 'STUDY' before taking action. Many people don't realize that the holding center is NOT a prision. It's a HOLDING CENTER. A place for those awaiting trial, can't pay bail or couldn't pay a fine (parking ticket), ect. Some people in the HOLDING Center are not criminals. Like I said, it's a HOLDING CENTER, only the accused go to prison. To allow abuse, beatings, rape, and suicides to take place in any place is WRONG. It's time for action!!!!

Rev Drew,
"For those in the Christian faith, today represents another collective failure to live up to the values we profess to hold."

Do ANY Christians live up to the value of their faith?