Denney, Andrew S. (author)
Kerley, Kent R. (editor)

Encyclopedia of corrections

2017

Faith-based programs are one of the oldest forms of correctional treatment in prisons around the world. In the United States (US), faith-based programming was the original and primary form of treatment. The use of faith-based programming in the US was reduced greatly with the rise of the medical model of inmate rehabilitation in the mid-twentieth century. Recently, however, faith-based programming has experienced revitalization with the Charitable Choice provision of the 1996 Welfare Reform and development of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in 2002 (since renamed to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships). Consequently, faith-based organizations are now allowed to compete for federal grants once reserved exclusively for non-religious organizations. As such, the increased presence and use of faith-based programming in correctional contexts has simultaneously continued a strong tradition and has renewed a long-standing debate in corrections.