Study Results Boost Faith-Based Prisons

Faith based programs in prison got a boost this month by a newly-published study. Prof. Kent R. Kerley, of the criminal justice department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was lead author. The Washington Times yesterday reported on the study, conducted at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, which found that "religiosity" -- believing in a higher power, attending worship services regularly and participating in faith-based prison programs -- directly reduces inmate arguments, and indirectly then reduces the fights that typically follow arguments. The article, titled Religious Participation and Negative Prison Behaviors is in Vol. 44 Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, pp. 443-457. (Abstract). Co-authors with Dr. Kerley are Todd L. Matthews and Jeffrey T. Schulz.