Finding Freedom in Confinement

the long version

This unique volume brings together scholars from around the world to examine the contours of religion in prison life. Religion long has been a tool for correctional treatment and inmate survival, but only since the 1980s have social scientists studied the nature, extent, practice, and impact of faith and faith-based prison programs. Although the concept of "jailhouse conversion" is common in the cultural lexicon, most fail to understand the nuances of how faith may work in prision contexts. This volume contains the most contemporary and cutting-edge research on religion in prison life, which includes data-driven (quantitative and qualitative), conceptual, and policy-oriented papers. These chapters will allow readers to move beyond a strictly emotional understanding of faith and toward a more scientific understanding of how prisoners use faith in everyday life--Introduction