Sheriffs in Portsmouth, Hampton, and Virginia Beach contacted by civil liberties group

Tidewater, VA – The ACLU of Virginia today sent Freedom of Information requests to three Tidewater area jails that may be using public funds to pay Christian ministries for services to inmates. The ACLU’s request comes in the wake of revelations made in the Virginian-Pilot regarding payments to religious organizations by local sheriffs.
The requests were sent to sheriffs in Portsmouth, Hampton, and Virginia Beach and ask for records pertaining to payments made to any religious organizations or individuals who have provided religious services to inmates in their facilities.
The ACLU of Virginia does not oppose the use of tax-dollars to support chaplains trained to administer to the spiritual needs of inmates regardless of religion, but believes that payments to ministers for expressly sectarian services undermine religious freedom.
“Jails may accommodate the religious needs of inmates by funding chaplains’ services that offer assistance to all prisoners regardless of their faith,” said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis, “but they cannot pay a Christian ministry to bring only the Christian message into their jails.”
“Protecting the religious liberties of inmates is not simple, but certain basic principles apply,” added Willis. “The government must accommodate the religious needs of incarcerated persons, but be careful in the process not to use its power to promote some religious beliefs over others. Thus, we have developed a tradition of allowing for paid chaplains but with the requirement that these chaplains minister to the religious needs of all prisoners.”
“The best situation of all, and one frequently utilized, is for jails and prisons to allow volunteer ministers of all faiths to enter prisons and offer their services to the inmates who want them,” said Willis. “That way, the religious needs of inmates are met but without government funds being spent.”
The Virginian-Pilot article, “Local Sheriffs Pick up Tab for Christian Groups’ Visits,” can be found online at http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=100441&ran=166603

Contact: Kent Willis, Executive Director, ACLU of Virginia, 804-644-8022