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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Taking another look at InnnerChange desicision
Dear Readers: This
week, we return to
Judge Robert W.
Pratt’s opinion in Americans
United.
This case presented
an interesting constitu
tional issue concerning an
inmate-rehabilitation pro
gram provided by “Prison
Ministries,” through its
“Inner Change Freedom
Initiative” (“InnerChange”),
for the State of lowa
(“State”). Prison Ministries’
mandate to promote “bibli
cal standards of justice in
the criminal justice system”
clashed with individual
inmates’ religious freedom.
Judge Pratt begins his anal
ysis with Thomas Jefferson’s
uniquely American vision
of the separation of church
and state: “that Almighty
God has created the mind
free . . . [and, therefore]
the Holy Author . . . chose
not to propagate [religion]
by coercion ... as was in
his Almighty power to do .
...” See Virginia Religious
Security Bank announces
management appointments
Special to HDJ
Cathy Cotton has been
elected Assistant Vice
President and named Branch
Manager of Security Bank’s
Houston Lake Road office.
Pam Piper will be in charge
of commercial lending in the
Watson Blvd. office.
“With over 20 years of
experience in Houston
County banking, Cathy is a
tremendous addition to our
team,” said George Slappey,
executive vice president of
the bank.
“I know our customers are
going to enjoy doing busi
ness with her.”
.' Cotton is actively Involved
in community affairs,
serving as treasurer for
Internationa] City Civitan,
on the Salvation Army board
of directors and as ambas
sador for the Warner Robins
Chamber of Commerce.
Student registration information
Special to the HDJ
Students new to Houston
County schools may regis
ter for the 2006-2007 school
year at the school for which
they are zoned. School zones
may be verified online or by
calling the school. Zones
are provided on the HCBOE
web page, www.hcbe.net/
zonemaps.
Those moving to Houston
County from outside of the
United States may first reg
ister at one of the system’s
International Newcomer
Welcome Centers which
have been established at
two schools - Morningside
Elementary and David
Perdue Elementary.
The International
Newcomer Welcome Centers
are designed to help smooth
the transition for interna
tional students and their
families.
Dates for enrollment and
required documentation are
provided below.
International newcom
er welcome centers
July 24 through Aug. 3
8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30
p.m.
Located at either
Morningside Elementary or
David Perdue Elementary
All elementary schools
July 25-27
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Parents who need to reg
ister after July 27 may do
so, but should first phone
the school to make certain
appropriate personnel would
be present to register their
children.
All middle schools
July 25
8-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.
Parents who wish to regis
ter at another time may do
so but should phone before
going to the school to make
certain appropriate person
Freedom act, 1786, in “The
Complete Bill of Rights: The
Drafts, Debates, Sources &
Origins 51” (Neil H. Cogan
ed„ 1997).
This was captured in
the First Amendment to
the original Bill of Rights,
the very first citizen-right
codified: “Congress shall
make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exer
cise thereof. . Thus, the
State may not promote one
religion over another and
must remain neutral with
respect to faith. Ultimately,
Inner Change ran afoul of
this restriction on state
entanglement with religion.
On its face, Inner Charge
was charged with a religious
ly neutral, and constitution
ally permitted, goal, i.e.,
to provide a “value-based”
rehabilitation program.
However, peeling away the
contractual facade revealed
a far less neutral practice
according to Judge Pratt.
He noted Inner Change dis-
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COTTON
“Pam Piper has done a
tremendous job for Security
Bank over the past five years
and will continue to serve
commercial customers in
her new location,” Slappey
added.
Among Piper’s many com
munity leadership positions
are Chairman of the Board
of HODAC, Warner Robins
nel will be present to regis
ter their children.
High schools
Houston County High
School
By appointment only from
8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on either
July 25 or 26, or Aug. 3.
Parents must first pick up
and complete a new student
registration packet. Once
the packet is returned with
of the all requested informa
tion, a registration appoint
ment will be scheduled.
Houston County Career &
Technology Center
Applications for fall enroll
ment are being accepted
throughout the summer.
Northside High School
July 19, 8-11:30 a.m. and
1-3 p.m.
Perry High School
July 25-Aug. 2
8-11:30 and 1-3 p.m.
Warner Robins High
July 21 and 24, by appoint
ment only
Call 929-7878 to schedule
an appointment.
Documentation required
for enrollment:
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Jim Rockefeller
Columnist
ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.com
couraged, if not prohibited,
participants from practicing
other religious disciplines.
Furthermore, it was housed
in a Prison Unit deemed an
“honor unit,” with special
privileges, facilities, and sta
tus within the prison cul
ture. Yet, those who did
not commit themselves to
the Evangelical “Christian
based” lifestyle promoted
by Inner Change would be
involuntarily removed from
this privileged Unit.
This created a problem for
Judge Pratt, as this ostra
cization implicitly promoted
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PIPER
Civitan Club member, Board
Member of the Warner
Robins Convention and
Visitors Bureau'‘and, B9£r{i,
Member for United Way.
Security Bank of Houston
County has five full-service
banking offices in Warner
Robins and Perry. It is an
affiliate bank of Security
Bank Corporation.
Certificate of
Immunization (Georgia
Form 3231)
- Out-of-state students or
initial student enrollments
must submit Georgia Form
3231 at the time of registra
tion.
Inoculations for MMR,
Varicella, and Hepatitis B
must have begun. Transfer
students from within
Georgia may have 30 days
for their records to arrive.
- Ear, Eye, and Dental
Screening (Georgia Form
3300)
- Guardianship/Custody
orders (If student does not
live with natural parents)
- Proof of Residency - util
ity deposit verification, lease
agreement, contract, etc.
Copy of Social Security
Card or waiver
The following documenta
tion must be provided within
30 days of enrollment:
- Permanent Academic/
Attendance Records from
Previous School
- The child’s placement
will be temporary until offi
cial records arrive from your
previous school. - The new
school will request these
records, but the responsi
bility for their receipt rests
with the parents.
LOCAL
JK,
InnerChange’s specific form
of Evangelical Christianity.
Thus, Judge Pratt con
cluded, “The physical set
ting . . . the programming,
and the daily schedule all
combine to create a sort
of modern, Evangelical
Christian monastic setting
in which every waking hour
is devoted to living out an
intentional Christian experi
ence.”
Troubled, Judge Pratt
couched the constitution
al issue as whether or not
the "... moral code pre
sented by Inner Change, as
DHR encourages vigilance for
child safety during summer
Special to the HDJ
With summer upon us,
and children out of school,
the Department of Human
Resources urges parents to
remain vigilant in order to
keep kids safe.
The summer can be a
time for fun and recreation,
but can also pose serious
health and safety risks for
children of all ages.
With children home from
school, some parents may
find themselves leaving
children home alone for
extended periods of time.
Children may also be
engaged in sports and other
irecreational activities. With
this-'m mind DHR is Advis
ing parents to take heed of
some crucial summer safety
tips for their children.
“Summer should be fun
as well as a safe time for
children, and we must
take care that in the midst
of that fun, we don’t miss
potential hazards for chil
dren.
Neglect can be eliminat
ed by ensuring that fami
lies have the support and
resources they need to raise
their children in a healthy
and safe environment,”
said DHR Commissioner
B.J. Walker.
Parents should care
fully weigh their options
before leaving children
home alone this summer.
Children age 13 and older
generally can be left home
alone, but shouldn’t be left
home overnight.
Children under 8 years of
age, however, should never
be left home alone even
for short periods of time.
Parents must assess the
maturity and responsibil
ity of their children before
deciding whether or not to
leave a child alone.
Young children should
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financed by the state ...
can be separated from the
religious vehicle in which it
is presented.” Inner Change
and the State argued that
any religion could adapt the
curriculum to their faith and
that “Inner Change should
not be slighted for being the
only real option in the mar
ketplace for values-based
rehabilitation providers in
prisons.”
Judge Pratt disagreed; the
lack of “market” competition
in providing inmates with
rehabilitation resulted in
the State consciously using
InnerChange’s religious
teachings to rehabilitate
prisoners, rehabilitation of
prisoners being a uniquely
State function.
Consequently, Judge Pratt
could not separate the sec
ular goal of rehabilitation
from the religious identity
of Inner Change. This was
especially unconstitutional
given that prisons consti
tute an inherently coercive
environment.
never be left in a parked car,
there have been hundreds of
incidents across the country
where children have died of
heat stroke while trapped
in cars with temperatures
well above 100 degrees.
Young children should
never be left unsupervised
around water. Even good
swimmers could suffer a
serious accident while left
unaccompanied.
Children who are going
to be around water during
the summer should learn to
swim and children should
always wear a US Coast
Guard approved life jack
et while on a lake, river
or ocean while boating or
engaged in other water
activities.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2006
Some may not like this
decision; however, it is con
stitutionally sound.
Government funds may
not implicitly promote a spe
cific religion - period. In
contrast, a religious orga
nization, even in prison,
can seek participants in
its program, so long as the
Government is uninvolved
in this election.
This is the beauty of the
Ist Amendment, protecting
each of us from a religious
state. We need only look
to Taliban-Afghanistan and
modem Iran to understand
the danger of a society lack
ing this protection.
Warner Robins attorney
Jim Rockefeller is the for
mer Chief Assistant District
Attorney for Houston County,
and a former Florida State
Attorney. Ownerofßockefeller
Law Center, Jim has been in
private practice since 2000.
E-mail your comments or
confidential legal questions
to ajr@rockefellarlawcenter.
com.
The Division of Family
and Children Services
(DFCS) encourages families
and concerned citizens to
recognize the warning signs
of child neglect and abuse,
including: children who are
unsupervised or left home
alone frequently, children
who are often hungry, chil
dren who have inadequate
clothing, children who have
mysterious bruises or chil
dren who are overly aggres
sive.
DFCS urges everyone to
be mindful of these warning
signs and if a person sus
pects a child is being abused
or neglected, they should
report their suspicions to
the county DFCS office or
the police.
Tel 329-1200
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