British Humanist Association calls religious offender management strategy ‘a disgrace’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today expressed extreme disappointment at the Government’s plans to further increase and promote ‘faith’ in the management of offenders, both in prisons and in the community.

Naomi Phillips, BHA Public Affairs Officer, said, ‘Publications released today from the Ministry of Justice make clear the Government’s intention effectively to hand over control of the rehabilitation of some of the most vulnerable people in our society to religious organisations. It is a disgrace that the Government is pursuing this strategy, despite admitting earlier this year that there is no hard evidence that “faith-based” interventions actually have any direct impact on re-offending rates. Neither is there evidence that religious organisations have better, measurable outcomes than inclusive secular organisations.’

Ms Phillips continued, ‘Moreover, the Government has failed to address any of the deep concerns about such a strategy that we made in our response to its consultations earlier this year, including the move by stealth away from an inclusive, secular provision of such services and the risk of lower standards of service provision.’

‘What is especially concerning is that there has been no acknowledgment or discussion of the exemptions from law for religious organisations that allow them to discriminate on grounds of religion or belief and on sexual orientation in employment and to discriminate on grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Such organisations are also not bound by the Human Rights Act 1998. We consider there to be a real risk that they will breach the human rights of offenders and their families in the provision of services, such as the right to freedom of belief. Yet these concerns have simply not been addressed.’

Notes

For comment or information, contact Naomi Phillips on naomi@humanism.org.uk or 07779 703 242.”>

For more details on the BHA’s position, see this, see our report on the contracting out of public services to religious organisations, ‘Quality and Equality: Human Rights, Public Services and Religious Organisations’, available at http://tinyurl.com/25w2hb.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief.