SAGE Journal Articles

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Article Link 14.1: Huey Dye, Meredith, Ronald H. Aday, Lori Farney, and Jordan Raley (2014). “The Rock I Cling to”: Religious Engagement in the Lives of Life-Sentenced Women. The Prison Journal, 94(3): 388-408.

A growing body of research—much of which has focused on male inmates— suggests that religion ameliorates many pains and problems of imprisonment. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of religious engagement on prison adjustment among a sample of 214 females serving life sentences in a Southern state prison system. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that religious engagement is indirectly related to prison adjustment; however, the role that religious engagement plays seems to be through helping women deal with feelings of depression. Women’s personal accounts of prison adjustment corroborate these findings.

  1. How do women sentenced to life in prison describe their faith?
  2. What are the implications of this study for religious programming in correctional facilities?