U.S. Prison Seminaries: Structural Charity, Religious Establishment, and Neoliberal Corrections

Using archival and site-based research, this article explores operational practices at six U.S. prison seminary programs regarding concepts of religious establishment. Further highlighted is a shift toward faith-based volunteerism as a “structural charity” in correctional budgeting. While religious...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hallett, Michael A. (Author)
Contributors: Duwe, Grant ; Jang, Sung Joon ; Hays, Joshua ; Johnson, Bryon
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2019
In: The prison journal
Year: 2019, Volume: 99, Issue: 2, Pages: 150-171
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
Establishment Clause
Prison seminaries
Religion in prison
Description
Summary:Using archival and site-based research, this article explores operational practices at six U.S. prison seminary programs regarding concepts of religious establishment. Further highlighted is a shift toward faith-based volunteerism as a “structural charity” in correctional budgeting. While religious programs offer powerfully transformative access to social capital for many inmates, the recent insertion of Christian “seminaries” into U.S. prisons arguably fosters religious establishment in four key areas: a lack of state neutrality toward religion, excessive state entanglement with religious service providers, inadequate solicitation of alternative programming, and a de facto measure of coercion in delivery of services.
ISSN:1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/0032885519825490