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TeacherAide Case For Freedom SESSION 5 ILLUSTRATING THE POINT Sometimes the
reason that we return to the spiritual prison of sin is because it seems to
profit us in the short term. No matter what the sin, the motivation is the same
and that is to please ourselves and not God. To someone who does not know that
value of God, pleasing the flesh is more desirable than pleasing God by
following His will for us. But these people are still stuck in a spiritual
prison. The story below is a perfect example of this principle in the real
world. It is a story of state prisoners who are making money in prison and
getting rich. They are profiting material things, but they are still in prison,
just like many Christians today. Profiting in Prison WCNC-TV February 14, 2000 Charlotte work release is usually seen as a possible path toward rehabilitation --- not an opportunity to get rich. Dozens of prisoners have accumulated tens of thousands of dollars in savings accounts while on work release programs in North Carolina. Investigative reporter Stuart Watson of WCNC-TV, Charlotte, broke the story. Charlotte has one of the largest minimum security facilities in the state and some of the inmates are allowed out on work release programs. Two inmates were serving lengthy prison sentences for murder, and yet were allowed out every day to work regular jobs! "This is not community work, such as picking up trash along the side of the highway. These are state inmates who have jobs at laundries, on construction sites or in the kitchen of a restaurant," says Watson. The rules of work release programs vary from state to state. In North Carolina, Watson says inmates with good records are eligible for the program when they are within a certain number of months of their potential release date. "The theory is this gives the inmates some money in their pocket, so they can get themselves re-established in the community when they get out. But there is a big difference between enough money to get an apartment and a car to get back on your feet, and $80,000 or $100,000!" he stresses. At least 88 inmates have accumulated more than $10,000 while on work release. Some have been in the program for years. One man had kicked his wife to death. "He was put on work release after 15 months in prison. He has since accumulated $100,000 while on work release, which he will be paid as soon as he is released from prison in the next year," says Watson. "While the taxpayers pay $56 a day to put him up, he reimburses the taxpayers $14 a day. In the meantime, after taxes, he can bankroll the rest, just like any other worker," the reporter explains. A second man who had been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a woman, whom he had become obsessed with at work. He shot her in the back of the head. However, working regularly in a restaurant, he has accumulated at least $20,000. Prison officials were reluctant to release data Getting the names and exact amounts has been a challenge. "The state is fighting us over telling us exactly how much each inmate has in their account," says Watson. He became aware of the savings accounts after a small newspaper ran a story on how an unnamed rapist had reportedly collected $60,000. They wrote about the accounts, but never attached names to them. Watson called the Department of Corrections, asking how much was in the accounts. "They were able to give us averages, and sent me a printout of all the accounts over $10,000. That's when we realized it wasn't just an inmate with $60,000, there was one with $98,000, $80,000, $50,000, and so on --- and there is no limit on who can go in this program. There were rapists, first degree murderers, burglars and all kinds of offenders," he says. Watson asked the state officials for the identity of the account holders, but the Department of Corrections refused. "I wrote a letter of appeal, and asked for them to send me a printout of everyone who is on work release, and how long they have been on work release," he says. He assumed that the people who had been out the longest would have accumulated the most money. Work release story was requested Watson called the prison and said he wanted to do a story about work release. "I didn't misrepresent myself. I told them I wanted to know how much money they earn, how much goes back to the state and how much they get to keep. I wanted to know what the good things were about the program, and also where the money goes," he says. Watson looked up the cases of the inmates he was to interview. "I found out one had kicked his wife to death in a drunken rage. I pulled her death certificate, the autopsy report and investigation, and the newspaper clips. Then, I pulled the court file, and called her family," he says. Killer and victim's son presented contrasting views Watson flew to Buffalo to interview the victim's family. The victim's son spoke at the cemetery where his mother had been laid to rest. He told of seeing the man attacking his mother several times. "This guy went in jail a drug-addicted alcoholic. No money. And he's going to leave jail with $100,000 and a cushy job ...and there lies my mother." Victim's son to Stuart Watson of WCNC-TV The inmate had been a mechanical engineer with a drinking/drug problem that progressively worsened. He was well-educated, and while on work release had helped build several major buildings in Charlotte. "He had worked on key elements of the Charlotte skyline. He wasn't a low level worker. He had worked his way up to project manager. He was the number two man on the construction site for one of the tallest buildings in Charlotte. He would go there and manage dozens of people during the day, and go back to prison at night for killing his wife," Watson says. "I killed my wife," he told Watson. "Over what?" He smiled slightly as he replied, "Aaah, that argument has been put to rest." What about the prison program? "I'm quite fortunate to have been restored to my professional capacity," he said in the interview. And how much has he saved while doing his time? "I've accumulated $98,765 as of yesterday." "If that's not profiting from crime, I don't know what is," said the woman's son. He suggested that whatever the prisoner earned show go to victims. But, the killer claimed that was irrelevant. Reaction was strong to the leaders of victims groups and their advocates in the legislature were shocked at the size of the savings, and at the amount of time these inmates were allowed out of prison. A 20-year or life sentence isn't nearly as long when you are only in jail at nights and on weekends. Watson suggests that you review the work release programs in your state. He was unable to find a nationwide survey of them, so he checked surrounding states to find out what their practices were. South Carolina had implemented reforms in its work release program a few years ago. They will not allow persons convicted of a violent crime to participate. They limit how long an inmate can be in the program. The state charges 25 percent of what the inmate earns to offset the cost of room and board, plus they take another 20 percent that goes into a victims' restitution fund, Watson explains. "In South Carolina, there is a marked contrast of who can get into the program, of how long they are in, and how much they can profit from it," he adds.
THE MORE YOU KNOW Justification is a legal word used in early Palestine that carries the notion of a legal transaction. In the Christian worldview, the act of justification is seen as someone who has been made right with God, actually justified in His presence. The reason justification is so important is due to the reality that all have sinned against God and is at enmity with Him. We have rightfully incurred God’s wrath on us because we all have turned our back to Him, rejecting Him, and have embraced something other than Him. We have placed our joy and delight in other things besides Him, and have not treasured Him as God and the Savior of our souls. Therefore, because we have made our only ally our enemy, we are desperately in need for this justification. Justification can only be made and validated by the dominant and superior person in the party. Therefore, it is God who justifies, and it is He who has provided the means for people to be justified in His sight. “But now apart form the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24) I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY “Habits if not resisted soon become necessity” Anonymous “It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” Benjamin
Franklin “Old habits are strong and jealous” Dorthea Brande “Vices are often habits rather than passions” Antoine
Rivarol “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” Spanish
Proverb “To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to know because I've done it a thousand times.” Mark Twain “A habit is
something you can do without thinking; Frank A. Clark “The chains
of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be
broken.” Samuel Johnson |