NCJ Number
142763
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This report surveyed the religious affiliation of inmates under custody of New York State correctional facilities in 1991. Data on age, gender, ethnic status, and marital status are presented according to religious affiliation.
Abstract
The results showed that nearly 90 percent of inmates under custody during the reporting period were affiliated with an organized religion. Female inmates were more likely to be affiliated with a Protestant church than males, while males were more likely to be Muslim than females. Jewish and Greek Orthodox inmates were older than the average, while Rastafarian and Islamic inmates were younger than the average. Nearly 90 percent of inmates were fluent in English, but only 75 percent of Hispanic inmates were. About 30 percent of inmates were legally married at the time of their incarceration and 55 percent had at least one child. The average time to parole eligibility was similar for nearly all the religious groups studied here.