Examining the Relationship Between Religiosity and Self-Control as Predictors of Prison Deviance

• NCJ Number: 237221
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparartive Criminology Volume: 55 Issue: 8 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1251-1271
• Author(s): Kent R. Kerley; Heith Copes; Richard Tewksbury; Dean A. Dabney
• Date Published: December 2011
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relationship between religiosity and crime.

Abstract

The relationship between religiosity and crime has been the subject of much empirical debate and testing over the past 40 years. Some investigators have argued that observed relationships between religion and crime may be spurious because of self-control, arousal, or social control factors. The present study offers the first investigation of religiosity, self-control, and deviant behavior in the prison context. The authors use survey data from a sample of 208 recently paroled male inmates to test the impact of religiosity and self-control on prison deviance. The results indicate that two of the three measures of religiosity may be spurious predictors of prison deviance after accounting for self-control. Participation in religious services is the only measure of religiosity to significantly reduce the incidence of prison deviance when controlling for demographic factors, criminal history, and self-control. The authors conclude with implications for future studies of religiosity, self-control, and deviance in the prison context. (Published Abstract)