Letter: HB 5 addresses crime but overlooks one prevention measure — churches

To the editor,

House Bill 5 before the legislature calls for more incarceration and longer prison sentences. A local writer listed some crime prevention measures but left out a main one: churches.

More preaching means less crime, so, we work and pray for more churches; more members and more money to churches. Churches could help by reporting to the media once a year their activities such as carrying the cross on occasion, sending shoe boxes abroad, Angel Tree for prisoner families, or Pro-life marches.

Prison recidivism could be reduced by letting it be known that churches welcome, even invite, people about to be released from prison to visit their church. After all, Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous (Those who make good choices), but sinners — (those who make harmful choices).” Mark 2:17b

Ministerial association members, pastors, deacons and others would do well to visit folks in prison as in Matthew 25:36. Some money to the prisoner’ family (If he or she has one) would go a long way to making the church a place of help.

Joseph Armstrong
Bardstown