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Faith-Based Initiatives

Faith-based initiatives refer to a widespread effort among governmental and religious nonprofit agencies to incorporate religious activism into various social welfare programs, including the correctional system. Most programs currently in place in the United States are centered around the Christian or Muslim faiths. Faith-based initiatives encompass everything from programs designed to help religious organizations obtain federal funding for outreach activities to the actual implementation of prison ministries.

The faith-based movement has recently been reenergized in the United States by President George W. Bush's strong commitment to it. Following his inauguration, President Bush announced the establishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI). During subsequent months, the Bush administration created legislative proposals focusing on the delivery of federally funded social services through faith-based organizations, becoming commonly known as the “faith-based initiative.” The principle behind this initiative is that faith-based charities should have an equal opportunity to compete for federal funds to provide public services.

Included among the proposed legislation was HR 7, the Community Solutions Act of 2001. The bill sought to provide tax incentives for charitable contributions by individuals and businesses and expand the “charitable choice” provision of the 1996 welfare reform legislation. The charitable choice provisions prohibit public officials from discriminating against religious social service providers seeking to compete for government positions. By expanding the charitable choice provision, President Bush created a specific and highly controversial way in which government and religious institutions may collaborate to provide social services. As a result, the issue has stirred tremendous debate over the separation between church and state.

Religion in Prison

Research has indicated that religious activity (e.g., attendance at religious services) in prison reduces adult criminality. Previous studies have also shown that inmates most active in Bible study activities who attend 10 or more studies in a year were significantly less likely to be rearrested during a one-year follow-up period compared to inmates less involved or entirely uninvolved in Bible study activities. Such findings are often used to support faith-based initiatives, even though other research exists that is somewhat more equivocal about the long-term effects of religion on reoffending rates.

Faith-based programs fall under two general headings: those that are federally funded by the government and others that are privately funded institutional programs. Federally funded programs are prohibited from promoting inherently religious activities such as prayer, Bible study, and proselytizing. Programs using federal funds are directed to further the crime reduction objectives established by the U.S. Congress. Privately funded programs are not restricted to the separation of church and state as are federally funded program.

Most faith-based initiatives are offender oriented, attempting to create a prison environment that fosters respect for both a higher power and for others while teaching the moral principles of a specific religion. The goal of these programs is to reduce reoffending through the power of religion. These outreach programs typically include components of Bible study, mentoring, educational classes, and transitional programming for ex-offenders.

Prison Fellowship Ministries, founded by Charles Colson (a former Watergate convicted felon), is an international volunteer Christian ministry that opened the world's first faith-based prison near Houston, Texas, in 1997. This faith-based initiative, the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, has subsequently opened three additional faith-based prisons in Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota. Among the initiative, the state pays for the cells, guards, and uniforms, while Prison Fellowship finances the religious programs and activities through private funds.

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