More God, Less Crime

by Johnson, Byron R.

• ISBN13: 9781599473734
• ISBN10: 1599473739
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-05-01
• Publisher: Templeton Foundation Pr

Summary

In More God, Less Crimerenowned criminologist Byron R. Johnson proves that religion can be a powerful antidote to crime. The book describes how faith communities, congregations, and faith-based organizations are essential in forming partnerships necessary to provide the human and spiritual capital to effectively address crime, offender rehabilitation, and the substantial aftercare problems facing former prisoners. There is scattered research literature on religion and crime but until now, there has never been one publication that systematically and rigorously analyzes what we know from this largely overlooked body of research in a lay-friendly format. The data shows that when compared to current strategies, faith-based approaches to crime prevention bring added value in targeting those factors known to cause crime: poverty, lack of education, and unemployment. In an age of limited fiscal resources, Americans can#x19;t afford a criminal justice system that turns its nose up at volunteer efforts that could not only work better than the abysmal status quo, but also save billions of dollars at the same time. This book provides readers with practical insights and recommendations for a faith-based response that could do just that.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Introduction	p. xi
The Last Acceptable Prejudice	p. 3
Preachers Partner with Police to Reduce Gang Violence: The Boston Miracle	p. 13
Children of Prisoners: People of Faith Mentoring Children of Promise	p. 27
The Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and the Violence-Free Zone	p. 43
A Systematic Review of the Literature: 1944 to 2010	p. 73
Can a Faith-Based Prison Reduce Recidivism?	p. 99
Can a Faith-Based Prison Rehabilitate Inmates?	p. 117
Jailhouse Religion, Spiritual Transformation, and Long-Term Change	p. 155
Why Religion Matters	p. 171
Prisoner Reentry and Aftercare	p. 185
Not by Faith Alone: The Need for Intermediaries	p. 203
Acknowledgments	p. 219
Appendixes	p. 221
Notes	p. 259
Index	p. 283
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