It probably had to happen sooner or later in the buckle of the Bible Belt " a faith-based prison.
That's what's on tap for Madill to consider, according to a recent story out of Ardmore's KXII-TV Channel 12.
According to the story, Correction Concepts Inc. recently approached the town with the idea of building a minimum-security prison that would use ministry and work programs in a big "come to Jesus" meeting for inmates before they are released.
More than 500 prisoners from across the country would be housed in the proposed facility, the story said. The prisoners would have to be physically fit for labor, be 12-24 months from release and be willing to work.
"The idea is to create a community-oriented atmosphere and environment inside a secure facility because the residents do not leave, they do not go in and out," Corrections Concepts CEO Bill Robinson told the station.
And why Madill? Robinson said that a "higher power" directed the company to set up a prison there.
"God's in charge of all that. He picks the spots. I go where I'm invited," he said.
Apparently God can swing quite a deal for Madill. Robinson told the station that the big guy can drop some serious coin in the town coffers " as much as $365,000 a year, or a thousand dollars a day in income locally for the facility.
As for when all this occurs, Robinson said that's also "¦ uh "¦ up in the air. Way up.
"(It's) God's time, and he's never early and never late. He's always on time. So I just sit back and wait on God and wait for him to move through God's people," Robinson said.
Faith seemed to be lacking when the station attempted to contact Madill city officials. No one was available for comment.
