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Faith &


utherans have until Oct. 31 to offer comments and concerns about a draft ELCA social state-


ment on criminal justice (www. elca.org/criminaljustice), set to be considered by the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. So just who is listening to and reading those responses? A 17-member task force, that’s who. Here, several of those members share their work and hopes with readers of The Lutheran.


Sue Genrich Berry, Kure Memo- rial Lutheran Church, Kure Beach, N.C.: I’ve been a criminal defense attorney for 33 years, pri- marily representing indigent defen- dants. I hope for thoughtful consid- eration and discussion of important social issues that affect all of us, whether or not we have dealings in the criminal justice system. … This can be a learning experience.


Nancy M. Reed, St. Mark Lutheran Church, Luray, Va.: I’m a private practice attorney and sub- stitute judge. I was a prosecutor for


Hunter is a section editor of The Lutheran. 34 The Lutheran • www.thelutheran.org


drug policy, pressing for changes in laws and better enforcement, and mentoring young people. We need to talk about the dis- proportionate impact on African- American people at every stage, and the way police sweep neighborhoods that are predominantly black and attorneys over-indict.


criminal justice L


Task force members share their hopes By Elizabeth Hunter


more than 20 years. I hope this draft social statement will give the church a framework for advocating for a transformation in thinking about the criminal justice system, which will result in fundamental changes in the pervasive view that equates punish- ment with justice. Until our thinking about criminal


justice changes, reforms will con- tinue to be piecemeal and economi- cally driven.


Anamaria Schmid, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Ojai, Calif.: I was the victim of a violent crime. My hope is that the criminal justice statement will inspire people to get involved, whether it’s to engage politically to demand reform or to help those impacted by crime.


Daniel Joy, New Hope Lutheran Church, Queens, N.Y.: I’m a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice. I served on the bench for 17 years. I hope this draft state- ment will inspire Lutheran congre- gations and community activists. … It would be good to see more ELCA members delving into our national


Jane Otte, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Marion, Ill.: I serve as executive director for prisoner and family ministry with Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. We need conversation about what is wrong and what is right about the criminal justice system. We need conversation about restor- ative justice. I believe that not everyone is called to this ministry, but the Spirit can use this document to call those who are gifted in that way. I believe that, driven by our faith, the church has a unique voice to bring to this issue.


Ryan P. Cumming, Faith Lutheran Church, Shelby Town- ship, Mich.: I’m a Christian ethi- cist. My brother is serving a 50- to 75-year sentence in a Michigan prison for second-degree murder, so I am concerned about family mem- bers of incarcerated people. I hope this statement encourages churches to create welcoming com- munities that open their doors to vic- tims, workers [in the criminal justice system] and offenders.


Derek Nelson, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Greenville, Pa.: I teach religion and theology at Thiel College in Greenville and write about justice and sin. I’m a volun- teer for inmate literacy and GED programs.


I hope we’ll ask what we, as Americans, really want from our jus- tice system and what we, as Chris-


DESIGN PICS


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