Prison Chaplain Perceptions: Criminality, Rehabilitation, and the Role of Religion in the Desistance from Crime

• In Event: Views on Rehabilitation and Punishment

Abstract

Utilizing data from 19 interviews with full-time prison chaplains employed by a Midwestern state department of corrections, this study examines the beliefs of prison chaplains regarding causes of criminal offending and views on rehabilitation. Specifically, this study examines three research questions. First, what factors do prison chaplains perceive to be causative for criminal offending? Second, what characteristics, treatment, and/or programming do prison chaplains view as essential for turning away from a life of crime? Third, what role, if any, does religion and/or faith factor into one desisting from crime? Policy implications, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.

Author

• Andrew S. Denney, University of West Florida