Long-Term Recidivism Among Federal Inmates Trained as Volunteer Prison Ministers

• NCJ Number: 158125
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 22 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 97-118
• Author(s): M C Young; J Gartner; T O'Connor; D Larson; K Wright
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared recidivism rates between a group of 180 Federal inmates who participated in a 2-week seminar to support their religious convictions and develop their potential for religious leadership as volunteer ministers inside prison, and a group of 185 inmates drawn from a matched control group.

Abstract

Recidivism data were collected over an 8- to 14-year follow-up period. Chi-square analysis showed that the seminar participants had a significantly lower rate of recidivism than the control group. The seminar participants were also arrested at a slower rate following release from prison than those in the control group, thereby maintaining a higher survival rate for a longer period of time. These results were most pronounced among lower-risk inmates, women, and whites. 3 tables, 3 figures, and 25 references