Pat Nolan testifies at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Restorative Justice Expert Pat Nolan Brings Biblical Solutions to Senator’s Effort to Reform Flawed System

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2009—This week, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs held a hearing on Senator Jim Webb's legislation to comprehensively review and reform the nation's criminal justice system.  Prison Fellowship Vice President Pat Nolan was among the experts the hearing hosted to discuss the need for such legislation, providing a biblical point of view to the testimony and drawing on his experience as a state legislator, attorney and ex-offender.

The hearing was WEBCAST LIVE at the Senate Judiciary Committee website.  Watch the webcast of the hearing. 

WHAT: 

Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Hearing: "Exploring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009"

WHO: 

Prison Fellowship Vice President Pat Nolan disicusses a faith-based solution to prisoner rehabilitation and criminal justice reform.  Other witnesses include:

• Chief William Bratton, Los Angeles Police Department
• Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Harvard Law School
• Brian W. Walsh, Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation

WHERE:

226 Dirksen Senate Office Building or LIVE online.

WHEN: 

Thursday, June 11, 2009
3 p.m. ET

Nolan leads Justice Fellowship, the public policy program of Prison Fellowship, the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.  The program advocates for criminal justice reform based on the principles of restorative justice found in the Bible.  Nolan is a former Republican leader in the California State Assembly, serves on the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, and is a member of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission.

On March 26, Webb introduced S.714 to create a blue-ribbon commission charged with conducting an 18-month, top-to-bottom review of the nation's entire criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform.  The legislation has received widespread bipartisan support and has 29 cosponsors in the Senate.

MEDIA NOTE:  To schedule an interview with Pat Nolan, contact Michelle Farmer (770) 813-0000 or (770) 757-4900 cell.  Media materials, including high-res, downloadable photos of Nolan, are available at www.DeMossNews.com/PF.

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