Down Inside: Thirty Years in Canada’s Prison Service by Robert Clark (Goose Lane Editions, soft cover, 265 pages, $22.95).

Winston Churchill reminded us many years ago that the way we treat crime and criminals is a reliable test of the civilization of any country.

A Catholic deacon’s ministry is usually found in one of three areas: hospitals, missions and prisons. For me, the blessing is to minister to the sick, their families and caregivers at a major hospital.

VATICAN CITY – With visits to detention facilities and washing the feet of the detainees, Pope Francis has placed renewed emphasis on the work of mercy of visiting prisoners.