Decatur County, IN — Sheriff Bill Meyerrose is responding to inquiries about Decatur County Detention Center programming in the wake of a recent complaint about jailhouse baptisms.
In a statement, Meyerrose says the Detention Center provides both faith- and evidence-based programming to every inmate who desires it.
He adds they are working to balance First Amendment demands by allowing inmates the right to exercise their religious freedoms while not using the power of the Sheriff’s Office to promote a certain religion.
The Sheriff also says all inmate requests to practice their religion will be administered according to Indiana Department of Corrections standards.
As for the Residents Encountering Christ (REC) program specifically, Meyerrose says the program will still be provided by the Decatur County Detention Center should community volunteers choose to request to provide it.
He concluded that the program will be facilitated solely by volunteers and not Decatur County Detention Center staff.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation recently complained about the REC, saying it violates the First Amendment.
The Wisconsin-based group also called on former Sheriff David Durant to stop the baptisms.
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