Introduction Public policy can always be Biblically framed, in order to provide sound guidance and structure to the decision-making process. The Bible offers instructional and legal support that can help steer criminal justice policy in a more favorable direction, to bring about desired results like public safety and the rehabilitation of former offenders. Criminal justice leaders are constrained by public policy, which impacts department policies, procedures, and protocols. The may-can-should approach to policy analysis and implementation shows how a Biblical perspective is aligned with a Constitutional perspective to inspire change. What we may do is grounded in Biblical and Constitutional law, which then offers suggestions for policy makers about what can and should be done.

Problem Statement

Criminal justice organizations contend with a range of problems and concerns, from police brutality to prison overcrowding. Addressing these issues is hard enough at the level of a local precinct. Attempting to resolve critical concerns in criminal justice at the state or national level requires the processes of policy analysis. As Ismaili (2006) points out, “understanding the policy-making environment in all of its complexity becomes more central to criminology,” (p. 255). Policy analysis is a process that begins with evaluating existing policies, programs, and procedures. A thorough analysis yields information about what is working and what is not, based on measurable outcomes such as quantitative reports, or qualitative analyses like surveys and case studies.

After the initial review of existing policies, the analyst then presents a set of the most pressing issues that can or should be addressed. This procedure involves the “accumulation of knowledge,” from multiple sources (Ismaili, 2006, p. 255). Narrowing down those issues to the ones of greatest or most immediate concern for public safety, or issues that are politically expedient, the analyst proceeds to investigate...

Those principles start with an assessment of scripture: what does the Bible suggest in cases like these, and what kind of future criminal justice policy would be grounded in Biblical principles? Next, policy analysts refer to the Constitution for guidance. A divinely inspired document, the Constitution reflects Biblical principles, which is why the may-can-should approach to policy analysis and implementation works especially well. When criminal justice policy does not go through the systematic may-can-should process, policies run the risk of being ineffective, causing major problems. Therefore, the may-can-should analysis should actually be offered in a more global fashion to assess the role that policy analysis plays in criminal justice organizations.
To make the discussion more salient, a particular criminal justice policy issue will also be addressed. One of the most pressing issues in criminal justice is how to reduce recidivism, which in turn depends on improving offender re-entry programs. Biblical and Constitutional principles help to inform an offender re-entry program that reduces recidivism and promotes the principles of salvation and redemption.

Biblical Guidelines and Principles

The Bible provides extensive guidance for criminal justice policy, and shows how policy analysis plays a role in criminal justice organizations. The authority of the law is a Biblical principle, outlined extensively in the Old Testament but borne out even more in the New Testament. The Bible is clear that the only valid criminal justice organization is one that is guided by spiritual principles: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God,” (Romans 13:1). When the individual breaks the law, the consequences are meted out by an authority that is presided over by Biblical law. In other words, the law…