Faith Moves Mountains and Sometimes Reduces Recidivism: Community Chaplaincy and Criminal Justice Re-Formation in England and Wales
| Author | Dr. Philip Whitehead |
| Pages | 27-40 |
27
FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS AND SOMETIMES REDUCES
RECIDIVISM: COMMUNITY CHAPLAINCY AND CRIMINAL
JUSTICE RE-FORMATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Dr. Philip Whitehead, Reader in Criminal and Social Justice, School of Social Sciences &
Law, Teesside University
Abstract A renewal of interest is currently und erway in the instrumental efficacy of religion
to reduce recidivism to which the relatively new phenomenon of community chaplaincy
that supports p risoners on release from c ustody is expected to contribute. After reviewing
some evidence on the relationship between religio n and recidivism that deserves c ritical
respect, it is argued that the distinctive contribution of community chaplaincy to criminal
justice re-formation should have two main features. The first is to provide supportive
relationships within a pro-so cial context to people leaving prison, and the second is to
draw attention to the unpropitious ec onomic environment into which they will be released.
Both features define the moral rather than instrumental obligation of community
chaplaincy to ex-prisoners beyond the gate within the proposed payment by results
culture.
Keywords Religion, multi-faith, community chaplaincy, recidivism, moral obligatio n
Introduction
Religious ministry to people in prison reaches back to the 15th century (Zimmer, 2005).
Later the phenomenon of religion influenced the penal system in the United States where
the linkage between religion and rehabilitation was manif ested in the Cal vinist New York
silent system and the Quaker Ph iladelphia separate system (O'Connor, 2004). Religion was
also influential in penal reform in England and Wales during the late 18th century (Howard,
1777) and evangelical theology inspired the probation system which emerged fro m the
police court mission of the Church of England Temperance Soci ety (Whitehead and
Statham, 2006). Additionally Gilbert (1966) as serted that various humanitarian institutions
within Victorian society operated with a religious ideology. Accordingly there is a historical
connection of considerable longevity between the spheres of religion, penal policy, a nd
criminal justice formation.
The previous decade has witnessed a renaissance of the religious question with in criminal
justice in the United States (Sundt, Dammer and Cullen, 2002). It has also erupted into life
in England and Wales within the context of structural re-formation associated with the
British Journal of Community Justice
©2011 Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
ISSN 1475-0279
Vol. 9(3): 27-40
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