A legal challenge to Iowa's InnerChange Freedom Initiative filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) two years ago will proceed to trial, after a federal judge denied the state's motion to dismiss. AU charges that the prison system gives preferential treatment to inmates in the program, whichis operated by Prison Fellowship Ministries. Au also alleges that inmates must embrace evangelical principles to be eligible. The trial will focus on three questions:

• did the state favor the faith-based provider over others in grant competition
• were inmates coerced or pressured to participate, and
• whether Inner Change is a pervavsively sectarian organization.

For details see the Religion and Social Welfare Roundtable newsletter.