Social Work Commons^™

Is Religion An Effective Rehabilitation Method? Comparing The Results, Ashley Kittrell

Masters Theses

Faith-based rehabilitation programs receive both praise and criticism from the criminal justice academic community. Critics argue they risk violating inmates’ constitutional rights by forcing them to participate and adhere to religious principles and activities. Supporters of faith-based programs claim that they reduce both recidivism rates and high incarceration costs. Current studies evaluating the effectiveness of faith-based programs have struggled to accurately define and measure either variable. This study compares two popular faith-based programs to a similar secular program to determine if there is a significant difference in recidivism rates using an independent t-test.