Inclusion of faith-based practices in the treatment of juvenile offenders

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Acknowledgement

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research coordinator, colleagues, and peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

Declaration

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

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Abstract

Religion has always remained an integral part of human life. Right from the beginning, humans have accepted the influence of religion and religious programs, aimed at providing them an opportunity to look into their lives and transform themselves according to the teachings and provisions of the religion. Community organizations have also played a vital role in advancing and supporting the cause of faith-based programs, which are meant to influence the thinking and practical approach individuals take towards the religious aspect of their existence. In contemporary times, prisoners and inmates are found to have been influenced by religious programs the most. This dissertation presents an in-depth quantitative analysis regarding the influence of religious participation on the adjustment of male prisoners living in the Great America. The first chapter provides a brief background to the topic including the statement of the topic, rationale of the topic, and nature of the study. The literature review mainly focuses on prisoners' education and the tendency of the inmates to participate in faith-based programs. The following section covers the methodology, which uses quantitative research approach. The sample population consists of American prisoners only. The findings and analysis of results is presented in the fourth chapter, followed by the fifth chapter that concludes the dissertation, providing implications and recommendations for further research.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

STATEMENT OF TOPIC1

RATIONALE OF TOPIC2

INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF TOPIC4

PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW4

STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN OF WORK13

HUMAN SUBJECTS16

DOCUMENTATION STYLE16

LITERATURE REVIEW17

DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSOURI YOUTH COMMISSION (MYC)17

MYC'S FAITH-BASED PROGRAMMING18

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM20

Rewards20

Security20

Basic Correctional Treatment21

Resocialization22

Length of Time Incarcerated23

Program Involvement25

Faith-based Aftercare27

Summary28

METHODOLOGY30

DATA AND SAMPLE30

RESEARCH DESIGN31

DRAWING A COMPARISON GROUP32

DATA COLLECTION34

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES37

Research Question 137

Research Question 238

Research Question 339

DATA ANALYSIS39

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA42

SELECTION OF VARIABLES42

Minority Status44

Age at First Contact with Law Enforcement45

Age at First Commitment45

Number of Prior Arrests45

Number of Prior Commitments45

Type of Crime45

Length of Stay46

Parental Pathology47

Number of Out-of-home Placements48

Family Stability and Stable Residence49

Stable School Placement/Achievement49

Standardized Educational and Intelligence Scores50

Substance Use and Abuse51

Non-severe Pathology and Conduct Problems52

CENTRAL VARIABLES OF INTEREST53

LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT INSIDE THE FACILITY80

Levels of Adjustment inside the Facility82

COMPARISON AMONG FAITH-BASED PARTICIPANTS PRE-AND POS INCIDENT RATES85

Behavior upon Release from the Institution86

SUMMARY95

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION96

SUMMARY96

DISCUSSION97

INTERPRETATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS99

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY103

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH104

CONCLUSION107

REFERENCES111

APPENDIX A115

APPENDIX B119

APPENDIX C122

APPENDIX D132

APPENDIX E139

Statement of Topic

One area of prison psychology that has received little attention, but is vital to the overall management of the prison milieu, is adjustment. Prison adjustment is important to the smooth operation of any correctional institution. Adjustment is the process of modifying one's behavior in changed circumstances or an altered ...