Faith-Based Programs Give Ex-Incarcerees ‘High Confidence’: Study

Faith-based reentry programs can help former inmates develop the emotional tools and skills they need to navigate their transition back to normal life,  according to a study published in the International Journal of Business and Social Science Research.

The study found that participants in faith-based prison reentry programs had “high confidence in the success of their participation in their faith-based program’s efforts on their personal and family growth.”

Researchers focused on five faith-based reentry programs in Florida where participants were interviewed about their experiences within the program.

Many former inmates find themselves without the proper tools and resources to be able to reintegrate successfully into society following release from incarceration.

When participants were asked what their primary concerns about their future were, the majority of the men named family, employment and housing.

Additionally, some worried about living in neighborhoods with high crime and drug use.

Of the 42 men who were interviewed, 86 percent found employment within one to three months after completing the program. The report also found that 90 percent of participants answered yes when asked if the program improved their relationship with their children.

Overall, 94.1 percent of participants said they were satisfied with the content of their program.

Why Faith-Based?

 While there are many different reentry programs, faith-based programs may have additional deterrent effects as research has shown that inmates scoring on levels of religiosity and spirituality show socially positive behaviors, according to the report.

 Although the vast majority of participants were satisfied with the program content and process, a few men across different programs stated they wished administrators had mentored them more throughout the program.

At the Dunklin Memorial Camp in Okeechobee, Fl., new people in the program are matched with men who have been in the program longer to help mentor them on their journey in a “Big Brother-Little Brother” system.

The participants who were interviewed seemed to think this part of the program was helpful, as it made them feel more like members of a family than a client in the program.

Participants in the Lamb of God program in Okeechobee, Fl., also stated they felt like part of a family with the program head acting as a positive “father figure.”

The report found “advising and mentoring opportunities,” along with positive support from program administrators was critical for participants to be successful.

“Structural support is crucial for the prevention of a return to crime and faith-based ministry organizations are uniquely poised to provide this type of mentoring and support that reentry participants desperately crave,” the report states.

The respect and support participants received during the program was also found to positively aid them in adjustment to normal life.

The programs analyzed by the report were found to be helpful in connecting participants with employment opportunities and connections they could pursue after completing the program which was a major concern for participants.

“As the American economy involves more and more knowledge-based workers, it is critical for our nation’s commitment to truly involve returning offenders to society by creating better avenues to earn a good living, have proper housing, and connect with their families,” the report says.

“Otherwise, we will not commit fully to our nation’s purpose of a robust democracy by not integrating everyone into our society.”

The report, “Got Faith?” was written by Gautam Nayer, Ph.D., Luis Perez-Feliciano, Ph.D., and Michael Adams, Ph.D.—all of Texas Southern University

The study can be downloaded here.

Blake Garcia is a contributing writer to The Crime Report.