ABSTRACT
Penal systems worldwide have incorporated religious programs into their systems of correctional treatment. In the United States, religious adherents developed the first penitentiaries, such as the famous Eastern State Penitentiary that opened in 1829. The Quakers championed the cause of more humane treatment of inmates, and included religious studies as part of their overall approach to reformation and rehabilitation. While the Quakers and other faith groups focused primarily on the logistics and purposes of confinement, there was no formal data collection to measure the impact of faith and faith-based programs for inmates. Johnson, Larson, and Pitts then conducted the first major study of a faith-based prison program, which was developed by Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM). The early signature program by PFM involved inmates meeting one or more times per week for intensive Bible study and periodically for brief seminars. Camp and colleagues conducted a survey of inmates participating in a faith-based program called Life Connections Program (LCP).
