| Repeated research studies have revealed
| |
| | suggested that if religion can inhibit
|
| that secular efforts at rehabilitation
| |
| | delinquent and criminal activity, why
|
| have been unsuccessful in preventing
| |
| | might it not facilitate the process as
|
| recidivism. Not one of the various
| |
| | well as the outcomes of prison
|
| approaches to psychological counseling
| |
| | rehabilitation?
|
| has been able to demonstrate success
| |
| | Aside from complex and difficult
|
| statistically in helping inmates
| |
| | theological discussion about the possible
|
| rehabilitate. Among nearly 300,000
| |
| | spiritual roles of religion, as well as
|
| prisoners released in 15 states in 1994,
| |
| | the evidence demonstrating the mental and
|
| 67.5% were re-arrested within 3-years. A
| |
| | physical health benefits of religion
|
| study of 1983 releases estimated 62.5%
| |
| | (Bergin 1983, 1991 Gartner et al. 1991
|
| (Langan and Levin, Bureau of Justice
| |
| | Larson, Sherrill, and Lyons 1994 Levin
|
| Statistics, June 2002).
| |
| | and Vanderpool 1987, 1989), there are
|
| Historically, this has been true
| |
| | scientific reasons to predict that
|
| according to the publication of The
| |
| | religion might effect behavioral and
|
| Effectiveness of Correctional Treatment
| |
| | social change. Religion targets
|
| (Lipton, Martinson, & Wilks,1975), which
| |
| | antisocial values, emphasizes
|
| highlighted the controversy as to whether
| |
| | accountability andresponsibility, changes
|
| correctional treatment reduces
| |
| | cognitive approaches to conflict, and
|
| recidivism. This review examined a
| |
| | provides social support and social skills
|
| variety of treatments (e.g., individual
| |
| | through interaction with religious people
|
| and group psychotherapy and counseling,
| |
| | and communities (Bergin 1991 Levin and
|
| intensive casework, and skill
| |
| | Vanderpool 1987 Martin and Carlson1988).
|
| development) and reported the results on
| |
| | Such emphases seem to be consistent with
|
| a number of different outcome criteria
| |
| | what many rehabilitation workers would
|
| (e.g., adjustment to prison life,
| |
| | call principles of effective treatment.
|
| vocational success, recidivism rate).
| |
| | Religious programs for inmates are among
|
| The relationship between any single
| |
| | the most common forms of rehabilitative
|
| treatment or combination of programs and
| |
| | programs found in correctional facilities
|
| recidivism rate was far from being
| |
| | today as confirmed by the U.S. Department
|
| convincing. In a review of the Lipton
| |
| | of Justice (1993), which reports
|
| study, Martinson concluded that "with few
| |
| | representative data on America's prison
|
| isolated exceptions, the rehabilitative
| |
| | populations. Religious activities
|
| efforts that have been reported so far
| |
| | attracted the most participation: 32
|
| have had no appreciable effect on
| |
| | percent of the sampled inmates reported
|
| recidivism."
| |
| | involvement in religious activities such
|
| Psychotherapy has proven to be effective
| |
| | as Bible studies and church services, 20
|
| with most populations. Consumer Reports
| |
| | percent reported taking part in
|
| (Seligman, 1995) published an article
| |
| | self-improvement programs, and 17 percent
|
| that concluded patients who benefited
| |
| | in counseling.
|
| very substantially from psychotherapy,
| |
| | These percentages are quite revealing, as
|
| that long-term treatment did considerably
| |
| | nearly one inmate in three is involved in
|
| better than short-term treatment, and
| |
| | religious programs. Yet despite these
|
| that psychotherapy alone did not differ
| |
| | figures, only a handful of published
|
| in effectiveness from medication plus
| |
| | studies (Clearetal. 1992a, 1992b B.
|
| psychotherapy. Furthermore, no specific
| |
| | Johnson 1984, 1987a, 1987b) have examined
|
| modality of psychotherapy did better than
| |
| | the influence of religion and religious
|
| any other for any disorder psychologists,
| |
| | beliefs or practices on key prison
|
| psychiatrists, and social workers did not
| |
| | predictor and outcome measures such as
|
| differ in their effectiveness as
| |
| | inmates' adjustment and recidivism.
|
| therapists and all did better than
| |
| | The scarcity of research about prisoners
|
| marriage counselors and long-term family
| |
| | and the influence of religious variables
|
| doctoring. Patients whose length of
| |
| | on inmates' adjustment and recidivism can
|
| therapy or choice of therapist was
| |
| | be attributed to potential problematic
|
| limited by insurance or managed care did
| |
| | biases held by both religious workers and
|
| worse.
| |
| | scientific researchers (Larson et al.
|
| So the question remains: Why have
| |
| | 1986 Larson et al. 1995 Larson, Sherrill,
|
| psychotherapeutic efforts been
| |
| | and Lyons 1994 Post 1995). Many
|
| unsuccessful in reducing recidivism rates
| |
| | chaplains, ministers, and religious
|
| within the prison population? It is more
| |
| | volunteers who work in religious programs
|
| than likely possible that the
| |
| | have been reluctant or have lacked the
|
| "psychotherapy" previously mentioned has
| |
| | skills to undertake publishable research.
|
| not been made accessible or affordable to
| |
| | This reluctance had been fueled by a
|
| the prison population. It is also
| |
| | broader historical skepticism about the
|
| probable that this type of psychotherapy
| |
| | relevance of religion held by many in
|
| is not meeting this populations social,
| |
| | higher education, and at best by
|
| emotional, intellectual, and spiritual
| |
| | universityresearchers' ambivalence in
|
| needs.
| |
| | studying spirituality or religion (Jones
|
| The study of religion in criminology on
| |
| | 1994, Larson et al. 1994).
|
| the other hand is now receiving national
| |
| | Arthur Hogles, author of "The Church and
|
| and scholarly attention. Evans, (et al.
| |
| | the Criminal," proclaims, "many a
|
| 1995), found that participation in
| |
| | criminal has been so completely
|
| religious activities was a persistent and
| |
| | transformed by the power of God that all
|
| non-contingent inhibitor of adult crime.
| |
| | desire to break the law has been
|
| President George W. Bush in his 2004
| |
| | eliminated. Evangelical religion is a
|
| State of the Union Address, proposed a
| |
| | social asset. Data, however, does not
|
| four-year, $300 million initiative to
| |
| | exist at present which directly
|
| reduce recidivism and the societal costs
| |
| | demonstrates conclusively the effect of
|
| of re-incarceration by harnessing the
| |
| | inmate conversion on recidivism. If in
|
| resources and experience of faith-based
| |
| | fact the root cause of all crime arises
|
| and community organizations. In 2003,
| |
| | from man's sinful nature and his
|
| President Bush created the nation's first
| |
| | cultivation of sinful habits, then it is
|
| White House Office of Faith-based and
| |
| | the churches responsibility to help with
|
| Community initiatives designed to send as
| |
| | the rehabilitation process. Sinful
|
| much as $10 billion a year to these
| |
| | lifestyles create guilt feelings which
|
| institutions to perform social services.
| |
| | lead to low self-esteem and a poor
|
| Chuck Colson, who was White House counsel
| |
| | self-image. Bad family situations,
|
| under President Nixon and spent seven
| |
| | alcohol and drug abuse, and education and
|
| months in prison for his part in the
| |
| | employment problems are all symptoms of
|
| Watergate affair, launched the Inner
| |
| | the development of a failure identity. If
|
| Change Freedom Initiative in 1997 at a
| |
| | the conversion experience has a direct
|
| Texas prison, with close enthusiastic
| |
| | correlation to a positive self-image and
|
| support from President Bush, then the
| |
| | a success identity, then Christian
|
| state's governor. The program is now
| |
| | psychologists can offer insight into the
|
| offered at prisons in Kansas, Minnesota
| |
| | prevention, intervention and
|
| and Iowa, and has also expanded into
| |
| | rehabilitation of criminals.
|
| federal penitentiaries. A two-year
| |
| | Recently, there has been a growing
|
| study, conducted by the University of
| |
| | interest in biblically based approaches
|
| Pennsylvania (peer-reviewed at Harvard
| |
| | to counseling by spirit filled
|
| and Princeton) between 2000 and 2002,
| |
| | evangelical scholars and counseling
|
| showed that Inner Change graduates, when
| |
| | psychologists. They are integrating the
|
| compared with a similar group of released
| |
| | research of psychology and religion
|
| inmates - controlled for race, age and
| |
| | particularly the Christian Faith, for
|
| offense type - who met program criteria
| |
| | rehabilitative efforts. The claims of
|
| but did not enter the program, were 50%
| |
| | great numbers of people confessing a
|
| less likely to be arrested and 60% less
| |
| | personal relationship with the God of the
|
| likely to be re-incarcerated.
| |
| | Universe through His Son, Jesus Christ,
|
| Johnson, Larson, and Pitts, (1997), after
| |
| | are amazingly similar regardless of
|
| examining the impact of religious
| |
| | place, time, environment, or background.
|
| programs on institutional adjustment and
| |
| | They confirm that Christ satisfies the
|
| recidivism rates in two matched groups of
| |
| | deepest mental and spiritual needs of all
|
| inmates fromfour adult male prisons in
| |
| | intellects, ages, races and
|
| New York State, found that inmates
| |
| | nationalities. This relationship carries
|
| involvement in "Prison
| |
| | an influence through time and into
|
| Fellowship-sponsored programs who were
| |
| | eternity.
|
| most active in Bible studies were
| |
| | For more info see: "Christian
|
| significantly less likely to be arrested
| |
| | Psychotherapy & Criminal Rehabilitation,"
|
| during the follow-up period. They also
| |
| | by Dr.
|
