NCJ Number
221715
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 45 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2007 Pages: 29-46
Date Published
2007
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study assessed public support for religious-oriented correctional initiatives.
Abstract
Findings indicted that the respondents were divided evenly on whether the government should fund faith-based correctional programs; a clear majority opposed having a religious content to the programs; most opposed discrimination on religious grounds in the hiring of program staff; a clear majority favored funding all religious groups as opposed to only Christian churches; and the respondents did not view faith-based programs as more or less effective than traditional correctional rehabilitation programs. The critical issues surrounding faith-based correctional programs are whether they can, in fact, be shown to work. Corrections have long been burdened by a series of ill-conceived and poorly run programs. Similar to other interventions, faith-based programs should not be embraced simply because of a compelling logic such as religion can be transformative, or the presence of good intentions among well-meaning staff. Effectiveness is not a matter of faith but of science. Whether sacred or secular, correctional programs that do not work ultimately serve little civic purpose. Instead, they rob offenders of the opportunity to change, and they are responsible for future victimizations of innocent citizens that could have been prevented. Data for this project were collected from the National Crime Policy Survey. This survey, conducted in 2001, included questions on a range of policy issues, including offender rehabilitation and punishment, the goals of adult and juvenile imprisonment, early intervention programs, capital punishment, and faith-based prisons. Tables, references