NCJ Number
192627
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2002 Pages: 91-121
Date Published
February 2002
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study examined the direct, indirect, and reciprocal relationship between religion and violent offending and used data from youthful offenders in an Arkansas shock incarceration program.
Abstract
The hypothesized model represented a theoretical elaboration of social control theory, using elements of social learning theories. The research used structural equation modeling procedures to test the pattern of relationships comprising the model. The participants included males ages 15 to 24 years in a shock incarceration program for first admissions to the department of corrections in Arkansas. The program was the only boot camp program for adults in Arkansas. The participants were a systematic random sample of every fifth inmate who entered this program since its beginning in 1990. Self-report data indicated that 44 percent of the 600 participants had committed at least 5 crimes against persons. Results of the analysis supported 27 of the 33 hypothesized relationships. Religion was inversely related to carrying a weapon, violence, drug abuse, and the selling of illicit drugs. Findings indicated that religion is an integral component of an explanatory model of crimes against persons among youthful offenders entering corrections and raised questions about using church attendance as a measure of religion, the relative strength of religion to different forms of unlawful behavior, and the usefulness of religion to explanatory models. Tables, figures, notes, and 123 references (Author abstract modified)