A Mixed Method Evaluation of the Role of Religion in Desistance and Reentry

Abstract

Literature holds that religious engagement can help prisoners cope with prison life and suggests it may affect the likelihood of recidivism. But despite agreement that religion supports identity transformation and generates social control, few studies have examined the utility of these mechanisms during both prison and reentry. The relationship between religion and desistance may be complicated by structural barriers to reentry and high rates of substance use among incarcerated populations. We address this gap using a longitudinal mixed methods design based on data collected from men in a Therapeutic Community in a Pennsylvania prison (N = 174 for quantitative analyses, N = 51 for qualitative). We use several methods to (1) compare the prevalence of psychological versus sociological mechanisms of religion in prison, (2) assess variation in recidivism outcomes by trajectory of religious engagement, and (3) explore the utility of religion in overcoming structural barriers to successful reentry.