Project Role
lead researcher
Project Goals
paper for peer review // presentations for professional conferences in criminology, sociology, and religion
Project Duration
8 months
tl;dr
Research Question:
- How do individuals in prison practice religion [qualitative]?
- Does religion help people succeed after they leave prison [quantitative]?
- How do people practice their religion when they are not in prison [qualitative]?
Data & Methods:
- Interviews with 51 individuals – 1 interview in prison and up to 3 interviews back in the community after prison
- Longitudinal survey data from 171 individuals (including the 51 with interviews)
RESULTS
I try to befriend a person in jail and get them to do something and it’s always something. You befriend a person and he pressures you cause you got money and it’s always something. So I will just chill and be religious…I’m cool on my level with what I’m trying to do, what I’m trying to accomplish and the goals and my things that I got going on, I’m cool.
44 year old respondent; his religion was stable while in prison
In prison, high levels of distrust towards other prisoners means people turn inward and use religion as a tool to transform their self-identity. They turn away from religious groups, peer connection, and social support.
When they leave prison, those whose religiosity increases or remains high don’t do any better than those whose religiosity decreases. For the first 200 days after release, religious individuals don’t do better than those who are not religious at all.
When individuals leave prison, they’re counting on their newfound identity – their transformed positive identity created through religious practice – to help them succeed. But that just doesn’t work in the face of giant structural barriers to employment, housing, addiction recovery, family relationships, or education.
I work 70 hours a week and then I have to go to counseling twice a week which I have to pay for out of my pocket but they force me to if I don’t wanna go back to jail. Then I have to pay [parole] money because they’re supervising me which I don’t wanna pay you money. You have to get a sponsor and a sober support group. Okay well how do you even get that if you can’t get a job, if you can’t eat, you can’t have a place to live? You’re not gonna be sober for long if you have no money.
29 year old respondent; his religiosity increased while in prison
Regardless of how much they want to succeed, the system is designed to ensure they fail.
I’m like God, I’m saying I put in thousands of applications to go back to school, everything, and it seemed like things just weren’t working. I’m like God. God like I’m doing so good, I’m praying you, I’m praising you, I’m calling on you and you alone and it just seemed like things wasn’t working…and that’s why I relapsed. Like I need to get high.
44 year old respondent; his religiosity was stable while in prison
WHAT DO WE DO NOW
imansaidwhat.wordpress.com 