The Ministries
The Catholic community has a tremendous history and capacity to help shape the issues of crime and criminal justice in the United States. Few organizations do more to prevent crime or heal its effects than the Catholic Church. Through many committed individual Catholics, prison ministry programs, parish outreach efforts, Catholic schools, diocesan peace and justice offices, community organizing projects, ex-offender reintegration programs, family counseling, drug and alcohol recovery programs, and charitable services to low-income people, the Catholic community responds to criminal justice concerns in a wide variety of ways. But we can do more.
This list of suggestions and resources is by no means exhaustive. Rather, it is intended to give individual Catholics, parishes, and dioceses some directions about programs and policies that reflect Catholic principles and values as we work together to…
- Teach right from wrong, respect for life, forgiveness and mercy
- Stand with Victims and their families
- Reach out to offenders and their families
- Build Community
- Advocate policies that offer real alternatives to crime
- Organize Diocesan Consultations
- Work for new approaches*
(Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration,
USCCB 2000,
p.47-53 and p.57)
*Footnote: The community of faith is called to perform these tasks, Resp. pp47-53.