More than ever before in American history—indeed in Western history—we are witnessing the near-death of conscience…. I regularly confront that brutal truth in prisons across the country.

An incident in Indiana a few years ago brought it home to me dramatically. I had visited the prison several times before, but that day a young inmate responded to my proffered handshake by smacking my hand away—a first for me. In many years of visiting prisons, I had never before encountered such direct and immediate hostility from a complete stranger. For obvious reasons, prisoners are rarely cheerful, but I saw in those eyes that day a chilling hardness I had never encountered before. Since then, however, I have seen a similar hardness reflected in the eyes of countless other inmates, particularly younger ones.

The assistant warden there was a Christian I had known for some years, and I asked him what was happening. "This place has greatly changed," he replied. "Ten years ago I could talk to these kids about right and wrong. Now they don't even know what I'm talking about." He went on to share that older prisoners were demanding protection from the newly arrived 19- or 20-year-olds, an ominous reversal. Historically, it has been younger guys who needed protection from the older cons.

The horrifying truth is that we have bred a generation with unformed consciences.