Journal
of Catholic Social Thought
Volume 3
Number 1
Winter - 2006
Catholic
Social Teaching, Racial Reconciliation
and Criminal Justice
John J. DiIulio, Jr.
University of
Pennsylvania
Catholic social
teaching offers a morally compelling and practically useful framework
for describing, analyzing and evaluating America’s criminal justice
system. As my own personal witness suggests, on this civic subject as
on so many others, it can transform hearts and minds. There are
well-documented racial and socioeconomic disparities in both criminal
victimization and in criminal sentencing. Catholic ideas and precepts
are especially important as a guide to understanding and addressing
these disparities, developing sound public policies, and promoting
racial reconciliation and restorative justice. While acknowledging that
there is ample room for reasonable disagreement on specific issues, and
while remaining careful not to fall into empirically flawed and
politically failed secular liberal platitudes and prescriptions,
Catholics should be in the forefront of efforts to repeal
mandatory-minimum drug penalties, reform the capital sentencing system,
support community-serving youth outreach ministries, advocate for zero
prison growth, and make common cause with kindred faith communities (for
example, the Church of God in Christ) and such organizations at the
National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. Where Catholics
have already made such efforts, many good things have followed. But
much more work, many more partnerships that transcend religious, racial,
and other divides – and lots more prayers – are needed.
