by Nancy Nonini, Social Justice Action Team—Criminal Justice
Following Pastor Jim’s sermon on “The Facts vs. The Stories” about Jesus’ Resurrection, we’d like to follow up on our presentation on the facts of Mass Incarceration with some stories. One story is about someone who was wrongly convicted, but served over 14 years in prison. One story is about someone who served an inordinately long sentence for a relatively minor case of shoplifting. One story is about how incredibly young we start the School-to-Prison Pipeline. These are all Arizona stories.
As Christians, we are called to right these injustices. According to the UCC: “In the lives and faces of those who fall into the criminal justice system, we encounter Christ, even in the midst of profound brokenness. We are challenged to seek out the image of God in this complex and challenging context… Because we are followers of Jesus, we are called to be present as ambassadors of healing, restoration and justice in jail cells, courtrooms, booking rooms, prison yards and detention centers.”
Please join us for these stories and what we can do to decrease the Injustice In Our Justice System at Breakfast in Your PJs on Tuesday, June 15, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. This event is online at our Bridges page.