Do Prisons Observe Religion?

The American Criminal Justice system is developed based on religious influences, and even today, religious organizations are still involved in prisoner reform programs. Under the first and fourteenth amendments, states are forbidden to restrict religious freedoms.  

If this fundamental right is infringed, prisoners can sue under the Civil Rights Act of 1871 U.S. Statute 1983. However, under federal law, a jail or prison can infringe on a prisoner’s right to practice religion if they can demonstrate that they have a compelling reason, which cannot be achieved via other restrictive means. 

The law protects the prisoner’s right to practice religion for good reason. Religious organizations provide a network of support for incarcerated individuals. Religion plays a vital role in easing a prisoner’s transition back into society after release.  

In this article, we will highlight a brief history of religions in prisons, the various faith group organizations in prisons, and reasons for prisoners to get involved in religion. We will also discuss issues that arise from prisoners practicing religion behind bars. Read on to learn more. 

A Brief History of Religion in Prisons 

Throughout the history of prisons, religious institutions and people have greatly influenced the treatment of incarcerated individuals. For many years, churches were the institutions that offered asylum to people accused of breaking the law. 

In fact, the actual establishment of prisons was a religious idea that allowed criminals to get penance for their crimes, make amends, and convert to better people while isolated from the community. 

This began in the days of Constantine when criminals who would have otherwise been mutilated or killed were granted asylum. Although this custom was prohibited in most countries around the 15th century, requests by religious authorities to reduce or pardon the sentences for offenders and release inmates during Easter and Christmas time remained for many years in a modified form. 

The imprisonment of offenders under the church’s jurisdiction later became a substitute for capital or corporal punishment. The Roman Catholic Church even developed penal techniques, which were later utilized by secular states. A good example is the monastic cell, which used to serve as a punishment area for criminals. 

The Protestants of Amsterdam also built a correction house for women in 1593 and one for men later in 1603. A little further away in Rome, what is now known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd also built a prison for women, and later in 1703, the then pope Clement XI built Michael prison, which is a famous correctional institute for young offenders. The prison emphasized work, silence separation, and prayer. Later in the 18th century, the Vatican prison was constructed and still serves as a model prison for offenders from America and Europe even today. 

Perhaps the most significant influence of religion on the prison system is the establishment of chaplaincy. Chaplains who worked with penitentiaries were the first paid non-staff members. They were also among the first people to provide counseling and education for inmates.  

Volunteers also have a long history of working with prisoners, and this concept can be traced back to the beginning of prisons. In the past 2 centuries, religious organizations have been going to correctional facilities to provide religious services to the people behind bars. 

Even today, volunteers still play a vital role in prisoner rehabilitation, and without them, inmate participation would be limited. Representatives from different religions would minister to a huge number and variety of incarcerated individuals.  

Many prisons may have been destroyed or refurbished over the years, but the initial influence of religion on the penitentiary design and prison philosophy will remain in the prison history books. Even today, using religion as a treatment modality or correctional program is commonplace in most prisons in the United States. 

Prisoner Rights on Matters Religion 

A prisoner’s religious practice has special protection under federal law. If a prison’s rules, policy, or practice impedes a prisoner’s ability to practice their sincere religious belief, the prison officials must demonstrate that applying the rule to the prisoner furthers government interests or the prisoner’s health and safety.  

They should also ascertain that there is no other reasonable way of protecting the interest. However, if the officials cannot demonstrate this, they should provide the prisoner with a religious accommodation for them to practice their faith. 

Prison officials may be required to provide an inmate with access to clergy, worship services, and a religious diet like Kosher or halal meals, but this will depend on the prisoner’s circumstances. The prison official may also be required to allow prisoners to wear certain religious clothing, religious texts, jewelry, and headgear and maintain religious grooming such as having long hair or a beard. 

Prison officials cannot impose religious practices or beliefs on an incarcerated individual. They also cannot punish the prisoner for refusing to participate in religious events and activities that have religious elements. They cannot also give preferential treatment to members of a particular faith or even treat prisoners that subscribe to a certain religion less favorably than others do. 

Faith Groups in Prison 

It is difficult to gauge the exact size of each faith group in the prison population. According to research from the Pew Forum Survey, about 12 religious groups are common in prisons in the U.S. While the findings from the research cannot reliably estimate religious affiliations in American prisons, they help provide an impressionistic portrait of the religious environment in prison. 

According to the survey, Christians make up about two-thirds of the total inmate population. Protestants are an average population of 51% while Catholics make up 15%. Other minority Christian groups make up less than 2% of the total prison population. 

According to the survey, other faith groups are represented in the prison system as well. Averagely, Muslims make up 9% of the total offenders in prisons. Other non-Christian faith groups are significantly smaller. 

Since the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops asked congress to come up with effective legislation to change criminal justice and sentencing policies back in 2015, many religious organizations are now involved in making reform policies.  

These include Christian organizations like Quaker Alternatives to Violence program and Catholic charities and Jewish groups like the Jewish Prisoner Services International and the Aleph Institute. 

Buddhists also have a religious group known as the Prison Mindfulness Institute and the Muslims rely on the Muslim Chaplain Services, which started the first prison system-based Muslim Chaplaincy program in the U.S. 

Why Inmates Get Involved in Religion 

It is not easy to determine why incarcerated individuals get involved in religion while incarcerated. This is mostly since religious practice and belief is a very intimate matter, which is exacerbated by the intricacies of living in a confined space.  

Yet, based on research conducted in prison environments, prisoners practice religion for various practical and personal reasons. 

1. To Worship A Higher Power 

Usually, criminal offenders in prison practice religion to worship God or another form of a higher power. In most instances, the prisoners would have grown up practicing religion or later joined religious groups. Most times, inmates practice religion after incarceration.  

Religion helps the inmates gain meaning and direction for their lives after getting incarcerated. They usually feel that Allah, God, or Yahweh should be able to provide them with a sense of purpose and direction in life, a better one than their present predicament. 

2. Religion Revives Hope 

Religion serves to provide hope for incarcerated persons, a hope that they will reform from a life of crime and debauchery and a life living in confined spaces. Some prisoners even assume that their being imprisoned is the “will of God” and by accepting their transgressions, is an act of being true to one’s religious beliefs. 

In a similar regard, some prisoners even believe that practicing religion while behind bars gives them peace of mind, which gives them some level of contentment. Gaining some semblance of tranquility makes the inmate improve their lives, especially by doing longer stretches. 

3. Religion Improves Their Self-Concept 

Another reason why prisoners adopt religion is to improve their self-concept. Without a positive self-concept, incarcerated individuals are likely to suffer from guilt from life failures, feel remorse for their criminal lifestyles, or even feel pain from being brought up in a dysfunctional family background. 

Since the core idea of many religious affiliations involves love and acceptance from faith group members and a higher being, prisoners always feel better about their lives while practicing religion in prison. 

4. Religion Acts As a Behavioral Change Tool 

Besides the many emotional and psychological benefits, inmates also rely on religion as a behavioral change tool. The discipline and strict principles involved in religion can teach prisoners self-control.  

Mastering self-control will help the inmates avoid confrontations with the prison staff and other inmates. Self-control will also help incarcerated individuals to follow prison rules and regulations. 

5. Get Physical Protection 

In prison, inmates believe in sticking in a group to get protection from other inmates who would wish to take advantage of their solitary nature. Without group protection, most prisoners believe it makes them vulnerable to sexual exploitation, blackmail, or physical injuries.  

When inmates practice religion for this reason, they believe that their religious groups would protect them from facing such issues. However, some of these religious groups use religion as a gang recruitment platform. This is usually witnessed after a gang has reunited in prison or jail. 

6. Socialize With Other Inmates  

Religious events serve as important hook-up spots for inmates because all inmates from the general population attend. Prisoners may appreciate the opportunity to meet with other inmates but two reasons are noteworthy.  

Just like in society, inmates enjoy the usual social interaction with friends and people who share similar interests. Religion can help inmates feel like they belong to a group and are accepted by the members. The other reason inmates meet at a religious gathering is to pass contraband items. These could include written messages, food, cigarettes, weapons, or even drugs. 

7. Socialize With Volunteers from the Opposite Gender 

As people confined in limited spaces, inmates have very few opportunities to meet people of the opposite sex. Civilian volunteers usually visit detention facilities to assist with religious programs and services. In most cases, the volunteers tend to be women.  

Male inmates always look forward to these visits and subscribe to different religions just to meet and interact with them. Female inmates also look forward to religious services run by male volunteers as well. 

9. Benefit From Special Resources 

Some inmates get involved with religious denominations to get free access to special resources that would have otherwise been costly and difficult to obtain while imprisoned. These include goods, holiday greeting cards, food, coffee, musical instruments, and books. 

Furthermore, some religious groups get privileges for special food on some specific religious holidays. For instance, Jewish prisoners are allowed to have a special diet during Passover while Muslims have one on Ramadhan. 

Issues Arising from Religion in prison 

1. Religious Extremism 

Since the infamous 99/11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers, religious extremism has become a mainstream topic in the United States. Some experts have even claimed that prisons could be breeding grounds for religious extremism. They have even suggested that prison administrators and chaplains need to pay closer attention to religious activity in prisons.  

According to the Pew Forum survey, 58% of state prison chaplains believe that religious extremism is not too common while 16% believe it is not common at all. At the same time, 75% of the chaplains believe that religious extremism in prison systems poses a threat to prison security while 26% of them do not believe it does. 

Granted, several factors are likely to influence the chaplain’s perceptions on the matter, and these include their perspectives and background as well as their experiences working in a specific prison. The views also vary with race and the religious affiliations of the chaplains.  

Protestant chaplains are very likely to proclaim that religious extremism is common in prisons, more than those of the Muslim or catholic faith. 

2. Using Religion as a Con Game 

The reason why most people are skeptical about religion in prison is the fact that some people use these affiliations for manipulative purposes.  

Inmates may believe that parole authorities and prison administrators will perceive their religious practice as a way of becoming productive, pro-social, moral, and law-abiding members of society. This usually will lead to parole early release.  

For many years now, popular media and prison literature have grown this mindset. 

Nevertheless, prisoners’ opinions on religion are very diverse. Some believe that practicing religion while in prison will prompt the warden or chaplain to improve their living conditions. Others also believe that religion will help them improve their chances at their parole hearing.  

On the other hand, some inmates believe that prisoners may use religion as a psychological crutch. The skeptics also believe that religion only placates weak inmates who need some kind of assistance to deal with trauma in their time behind bars.  

Conclusion 

Religion has always influenced the prison system as a treatment alternative since prison systems started. This custom has been observed for centuries and even today, religion as a treatment modality or a correctional program is still commonplace in prisons across the United States. 

Inmates who are sincere or legitimate about their religious beliefs and regularly practice religion find it to be a motivating factor in their lives. Some of the gains for inmates include direction motivation and meaning in life. They also gain hope for the future positive self-esteem, peace of mind, and a change of lifestyle. 

On the other hand, insincere inmates use religion for manipulative purposes. Their behavior and actions do not reflect the doctrines and rules of any formal type of religion, regardless of their public claims. The main reason behind this insincere practice of religion is inmate convergence, protection access to special prison resources, and interaction with volunteers from the opposite gender. 

That said, inmates have the right to practice religion; however, religion will not be imposed on anyone.