Remarks on the USCCB November 15, 2000 statement: "Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice."

Apropos of the theological issues at stake in the Essential Norms: the November 15, 2000 USCCB statement, "Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice." It seems that some principles for revising the Church's response to the sexual abuse crisis are found in that document (and are at odds with the Essential Norms and the current practices of many bishops). Among other wise statements in that document is the following:

 

 "New approaches must go beyond the slogans of the moment (such as ‘three strikes and you're out') . . . Crime, corrections, and the search for real community require far more than the policy cliches of conservatives and liberals." (p. 3)

 

 " A Catholic approach begins with the recognition that the dignity of the human person applies to both victim and offender."(p. 3)

 

 "These statistics and policies (on punishment) reflect legislative action at the federal and state levels that is adopted by legislators seeking to appear ‘tough on crime' in response to often sensational media coverage of crime." (p. 6).

 

 "Every day Christians recognize both that we are guilty of sin and that we are forgiven... Our Catholic faith can help us and others move beyond the current debate and gain a deeper understanding of how to reject crime, help heal its victims, and pursue the common good. We wish to move away from the so-called ‘soft' or ‘tough' approaches to crime and punishment offered by those at opposite ends of the political spectrum." (p. 8)

 

 "Our society seems to prefer punishment to rehabilitation and retribution to restoration thereby indicating a failure to recognize prisoners as human beings." (pp. 8-9).

 

 "We cannot and will not tolerate behavior that threatens lives and violates the rights of others...We believe punishment must have clear purposes: protecting society and rehabilitating those who violate the law...We are all sinners, and our response to sin and failure should not be abandonment and despair, but rather justice, contrition, reparation, and return or reintegration of all into the community." (p. 9).

 

 "Jesus ... rejected punishment for its own sake, noting that we are all sinners. Jesus also rejected revenge and retaliation and was ever hopeful that offenders would transform their lives and turn to be embraced by God's love." (p. 9).

 

 "The Parable of the Prodigal Son shows God's love for us and models how we are to love one another. In spite of his younger son's reckless life and squandering of his inheritance, the father celebrates his return home, recognizing that his son has shown contrition and had changed his life. The lost who have been found are to be welcomed and celebrated, not resented and rejected." (p. 10).

 

 "The fundamental starting point for all of Catholic social teaching is the defense of human life and dignity...Human dignity is not something we earn by our good behavior; it is something we have as children of God. We believe that because we are all created by God, ‘none of us is the sum total of the worst act we have ever committed...As a people of faith, we believe that grace can transform even the most hardened and cruel human beings.'...The test for the rest of us is whether we will exercise our responsibility to hold the offender accountable without violating his or her basic rights. Even offenders should be treated with respect for their rights." (p. 11).

"One-size-fits-all solutions are often inadequate. Studies and experience shows that the combination of accountability and flexibility works best with those who are trying to change their lives. . .We must renew our efforts to ensure that the punishment fits the crime. Therefore, we do not support mandatory sentencing that replaces judges' assessments with rigid formulations." (p.13)

"Finally, we must welcome ex-offenders back into society as full participating members, to the extent feasible..." (p. 17)

Reading these statements of the bishops, we are reminded of the late Chicago satirist Mike Royko, who once found out that Jesse Jackson had not voted in an election. Royko dismissed Jackson, saying, "He can't even carry his own vote."  It seems that if the bishops want American society to take seriously their critique of our penal system, they should incorporate their teaching into their own norms for dealing with allegations of sexual abuse.