The atheist would have been my first guess too, but if you're in jail, and you're offered a way out.... do you make waves:confused:

The taxpayer is an even trickier question in that s/he is actually saving money this way....and really can't prove any harm.

I totally agree that this is unconstitutional, I am just having a hard time imagining the situation in which someone will challenge it.

I think atheists are welcome at UU...

I'm pretty sure that if it is someone making an Establishment Clause claim they wouldn't have to actually be in the program to have standing. So it wouldn't have to be an atheist facing the choice to get out or make waves and not get out while doing so. It could just be any random person within the jurisdiction.

(A legal blog I was reading about this at mentioned that in Mississippi a judge was recently suspended for a month for making bail contingent on church attendance.)

And apparently the ACLU let it be known they have issues with it representing that random person and the program is on hold pending further review by the city's legal counsel (man, I really hope their legal counsel didn't previously tell them this was ok).

The sheriff's continued defense indicates he doesn't understand the problem it creates at all. Though this article makes it sound the program is just something he and the local judges came up with on their own.

Yes, atheists are welcome at UU, and many other churches. But as an atheist I have no interest in UU or other churches.

What Alex said. I don't care who is or isn't welcome where, no one should be given the choice of "Go to a place of worship or go to jail."

Yeah, but isn't this in rural Georgia? Not likely to be many church choices there. And I really wouldn't expect to find something like a UU church there.

Different kind of jail.

You make a good point. Because no matter how you look at it, ultimately that IS the choice.

It is Bay Minette, Alabama. I checked, that is a humble burg of 8,000 people.

Google Maps finds about 50 churches within 10 miles of downtown, with lots of variety. If you like some flavor of Protestantism, especially Baptist or Pentecostal.

There are two Catholic Churches and if you prefer your Protestantism a bit "culty" (to use the view of the other churches, not my own) then you can find an LDS outpost and a Kingdom Hall in town.

Most other significant religions (including Jews, Muslims, and Unitarian Universalists) will have to go 40 miles to Mobile or 60 miles to Pensacola.

The nearest Hindu Temple is 130 miles in Carriere, Mississippi (or 230 miles in Birmingham if they have to stay in state).

The Atheist Cathedral is not yet found.

It's still uncertain if there's an agnostic temple, can't quite rule that out yet

I am pretty sure most agnostics would just shrug their shoulders at this one....... heh, heh.