Reasons for Faith-Based Correctional Program Participation: An Examination of Motive Types

• NCJ Number: 231846
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 49 Issue: 6 Dated: August-September 2010 Pages: 377-397
• Author(s): Okyun Kwon; Scott D. Camp; Dawn M. Daggett; Jody Klein-Saffran
• Date Published: August 2010
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the different motives behind inmate participation in faith-based correctional programs.

Abstract

Although faith-based correctional programming has become increasingly popular in recent years, offenders' motivation to participate and the impact on prison adjustment have received little attention. Analyzing interview data of 83 participants of the Federal Bureau of Prison's faith-based correctional program, this study explored the different types of motives for program participation and examined their associations with prison adjustment as measured by misconduct. The results from content analysis showed that the offenders whose motives were congruent with the general goals of the program were less likely to commit misconduct before and after their program enrollment. The Prochaska scale, which measures levels of change in general, did not differ greatly with these more specific motive types. This implies that offenders' program-specific motives could be meaningfully associated with their prison adjustment. Tables, notes, and references (Published Abstract)