Exploring the type-of-crime hypothesis, religiosity, and spirituality in an adult male prison population

Anita Fernander, John F. Wilson, Michele Staton, Carl Leukefeld

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the association between measures of spirituality and religiosity and characteristics of current criminal conviction in a male prison population. Spirituality was operationalized as spiritual well-being and existential well-being. Religiosity was operationalized as frequency of religious service attendance, whether an individual considered himself to be religious, and how strongly an individual believed his religious beliefs influenced his behavior. Inmates whose convictions were property related reported greater spiritual well-being, were more likely to consider themselves religious, and to say that religious beliefs influenced their behavior than inmates whose crimes were not property related. Inmates whose convictions were drug related were less likely to consider themselves religious, and inmates whose conviction involved violence were more likely to consider themselves religious but less likely to endorse statements that religious beliefs influenced their behavior. The distinction between religiosity and spirituality is discussed in terms of the type-of-crime hypothesis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)682-695
Number of pages14
JournalInternational Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Volume49
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2005

Keywords

  • Prisoners
  • Religiosity
  • Spirituality
  • Type-of-crime

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Applied Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Exploring the type-of-crime hypothesis, religiosity, and spirituality in an adult male prison population'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this