Religion and recidivism : exploring the relationship between belief and reoffending using four schools of criminology theory

Abstract

This research aims at exploring how religious meaning affects recidivism. Central to this project is the incorporation of “transcendental values” (defined as the notions of assessment or judgement over individuals’ performance or behaviour as they relate to spiritual rewards or punishments across this-life and after-life) into criminological understandings of why people refrain from reoffending. The research questions are: (1) How do transcendental values function in terms of the Four Schools of Criminology Theory? (2) How does religious meaning effect a discharged inmate’s likelihood of reoffending? The Four Schools of Criminology Theory are: Rational Choice Theory, Situational Crime Prevention Theory, Labeling Theory, and Social Bond Theory.

Interviews with 10 participants were conducted, all those discharged inmates have not reoffended for a minimum of two years since their release. The data from these participants indicates that: (1) most interviewees consider transcendental costs and benefits (in terms of spiritual and after-life values) in making their choices about offending; (2) religious belief gives rise to a process of internalized surveillance which has a negative effect on the thought of reoffending; (3) the Christian identity leads to some kind of self-labeling effect that encourages non-committal of offense; and (4) Christian community life helps to create some amount of resistance to bad peers’ influence. It is hereby concluded that, in some cases, religious meaning helps to reduce the likelihood of reoffending of discharged inmates.