By Peter Holloway2023-08-23T14:21:00
The CEO of Prison Fellowship believes that no one is beyond hope. But when heinous crimes are committed, that slogan is tested. What does justice look like when dealing with a convicted murderer? Peter Holloway explores
Our criminal justice system was established for three purposes - to punish, to rehabilitate offenders and to protect the public. Often, however, the focus of the system appears to be to determine blame (guilt) and impose punishment (pain). The more heinous the crime, the more this rule applies and the emphasis turns fully towards an offender getting what is felt to be their just deserts.
So, when we ask how society should respond when a crime is committed, we tend to ask just one question. What does the offender ‘deserve’? This is a natural human response to the pain we feel - either directly, as victims of crime, or vicariously, through feeling the grief of others.
2023-09-04T10:34:00Z By Matthew Knell
The case of serial killers such as Lucy Letby raises hard questions about the nature of evil. There may be no neat answer, but biblical principles can provide some guidance, says Dr Matthew Knell
2022-11-01T20:46:00Z By Sam Hailes
Sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years inside an Alabamian prison waiting to be executed
2022-08-25T15:13:00Z By George Pitcher
What does Christian hope look like in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy, wonders George Pitcher
2025-06-12T18:28:00Z By George Luke
After being accused of serious sexual misconduct and drug abuse, the former Newsboys singer Michael Tait has issued a full apology. George Luke hopes other Christian leaders caught in sin will take the same approach
2025-06-12T17:53:00Z By Miriam Cates
A new UN report says all but three countries in the world will have below replacement levels of reproduction by the end of the century. God’s command to ”increase in number” was never meant to be an optional extra, says Miriam Cates. It’s time that Christians took it seriously again
2025-06-12T17:41:00Z By Krish Kandiah
With so much tragedy and unrest dominating our news headlines, it can be tempting to turn away or become disheartened. But in a world where conflict drowns out compassion, we need peacemakers more than ever, says Dr Krish Kandiah
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