The New York Times ran a piece over the weekend about the success of the bible college run through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary at Angola Prison. Warden Burl Cain calls the college “the game changer,” and he added “It changed the culture of the prison.” Historically, Angola was known as one of the most violent and dangerous prisons in the country. Now Angola’s educational model is being replicated at other state penitentiaries across the nation.
Maybe surprising to some, even the ACLU has conceded the bible college is important to Angola’s inmates:
‘I think that what Burl Cain calls moral rehabilitation is, in his mind, religious doctrine, but a lot of good has come of it,’ Ms. Esman said. ‘I think it’s unfortunate that the only college available is a Christian one, but the fact that a college is there at all is important.’
Higher educational opportunities were pulled years ago from the prison because of budget cuts and as a result the bible college has come in to fill the educational vacuum.
Religion & Liberty interviewed Warden Cain in 2012. I took a tour of Angola Prison too and wrote a commentary about the spiritual transformation and revival among inmates. Recently, I touched on the impact of the inmate led hospice program at Angola.
