a nation of barbarians.

" If, as Dostoevsky wrote, “the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons,” then we are a nation of barbarians.

We lock up a far greater percentage of our people than any other nation. And once they’re behind bars, our treatment of them ranges from, at best, benign neglect to violations of human dignity that, as Justice Anthony Kennedy has written, have “no place in civilized society.” "
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"Jesus cared passionately about prisoners. Throw in what he said about little ones and millstones, and we’d better care about juvenile offenders. Stay tuned to BreakPoint.
Three years ago, Michael McIntosh went to visit his son, a juvenile offender at the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility near Jackson, Mississippi. When he arrived he was told that his son, Mike, wasn’t there.
Since Mike hadn’t been released from custody, something was very wrong. It took six weeks and a tip from a prison nurse to find Mike, who was in a hospital in Greenwood several hours from Jackson. It’s as if prison officials were trying to hide Mike.
And for good reason: Mike “could barely move, let alone sit up.” He couldn’t see or talk; he had a “baseball-size knot on the back of his head;” and he was covered in cuts, bruises and stab wounds.
As a result of his injuries, Mike sustained brain damage that left his cognitive abilities resembling that of a two-year-old. Mike suffered these injuries as the result of a “youth melee” at the facility, and “no one bothered to tell his father.”Again, for good reason: because according to a Department of Justice report, “A female guard had ‘endorsed the disturbance by allowing inmates into an authorized cell to fight.’ ” What’s more, “The guard’s involvement wasn’t uncommon. Investigations showed that guards frequently instigated or incited youth-on-youth violence. Often, they were the perpetrators.”
Eventually, the state entered into an agreement with Justice to reform conditions at Walnut Grove. In approving the settlement, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves cited a pattern of “deliberate indifference” to what he characterized as “a cesspool of unconstitutional and inhuman acts and conditions.” ...............................
These violations persist because the vast majority of Americans practice their own brand of “deliberate indifference” when it comes to the treatment of prisoners.But we don’t have that option. Jesus made it clear that deliberate indifference to their plight puts our souls at risk. In addition, if we remain silent in the face of these offenses against human dignity, then we will deserve it when people tune us out when we talk about matters like religious freedom and marriage. We will be just another special interest in a nation full of them.  So where do we start? Well, please visit JusticeFellowship.org. Chuck Colson founded Justice Fellowship in 1983 to bring biblical principles to bear on our criminal justice system. Learn about Justice Fellowship’s work, sign up for JF’s email newsletter, and find out how you can contribute to making ours a society worthy of being called “civilized.”  "

 A quote from " Juvenile Justice and Jesus   ---  We Must Do Better" by  Eric Metaxas.   Read the full article in the link...  The article is clearly addressed to christian believers, who know their Bible, and who intend to obey their faith. (Also with practical steps)

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/22737 

http://www.breakpoint.org/images/metaxas.jpg