Religion in Prison

Newswise — A UAB study in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion finds that practicing religion in prison reduces the likelihood of arguments and physical fights among inmates. Though no direct link between religious beliefs and physical fighting was detected, the study found that religious inmates generally argued less and therefore were less likely to get into physical fights. "We don't suggest that prisons devote more funds to chaplains and faith-based programs at the expense of programs that have been found to be effective, such as GED and college and job training programs," said UAB criminologist Kent Kerley, Ph.D. "But the results suggest that inmates should be given the options. Faith-based programs usually are inexpensive and are conducted by staff chaplains and local volunteers."