International Journal of Education and Social Science (IJESS)

In prison many inmates turn to religion for a novel world-view fostering belonging, identity, and management of life. Dogma associated with religious conversion may reinforce anti-social, radical identity or it may encourage pro-social conformity (Sadri 2006, 2007, 2009). This study focuses on religious conversion in prison and nuanced pathways to two types of identity tendencies indicating the potential for either pro-social outcomes supportive of prisoner rehabilitation and desistance, or the potential for anti-social outcomes indicating continuing radicalization and crime. Given the relative dearth of research on either of the above subjects, this study particularly examines conversion in prison and the potential tendencies for, the inclusivist, or the exclusivist, the incorporationist, or the rejectionist tendencies in relation to conversion as an evolving process. It is important that sound methodological research be conducted to better understand the above tendencies that appear to relate to religion, conversion and community belonging and which without sound research lead to unsupported claims-making (Maruna et al, 2006; O’Connor and Bogue 2010; Worthington et al, 2010; Norcross and Wampold, 2010; Pew, 2012). While it is important for society to provide security against radical recruitment efforts using religion, it is also equally important and fundamental that religion as a means of pro-social identity be preserved (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 2008). Hence, the specific assumption of this study is that religious dogma has a tendency to lead converts in prison to construct community identities that may (or may not) support such radicalization, and that these tendencies arise in the context of religious conversion and identity (Kimball 2002; Hassner 2003; Juergensmeyer 2003; Gulen 2004; Gerwehr, Scott and Daly 2006; Goddard 2006; Aslan 2006; Armstrong 2009; Cox 2009; Cinoglu 2010). By analyzing interviews conducted with both prison chaplains and prisoners who have experienced religious transformation, this research delivers a better understanding of the process leading to new religious and world-view community identities and a better insight into the way in which each of these identities diverge and are justified.