Date of Award

Fall 8-1-2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

First Advisor

Ram Cnaan, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

John DiIulio, Ph.D.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

FROM VIOLATION TO REVELATION: FINDING FAITH IN THE DEPTHS OF PRISON HELL

Darcella Anita Patterson Sessomes, LCSW

Ram Cnaan, Ph.D., Dissertation Chair

As the violence in the United States grows, so does the potential for increased violence and misconduct inside its prisons. Religiosity and spirituality are two areas in which the social work profession is beginning to understand its value and in the rehabilitative and behavioral change process. This quantitative study explores two hypotheses: H1- inmates who participate in worship services and faith-based programs will have less disciplinary infractions than those who do not participate, and H2- inmates who participate in worship services and faith-based programs will have fewer times sent to administrative segregation or detention than those who do not participate. A secondary data analysis approach was achieved by examining the disciplinary infractions and the amount of times sent to administrative segregation and detention of a sample of 454 inmates. The analysis is presented in two parts: a preliminary and a primary analysis. Likeliness Ration Chi Squares of Omnibus Test, parametric values (i.e. mean, median) were calculated. Preliminary analyses consist of T-test, ANOVA, crosstabs, Chi-square test and Spearman’s correlation were utilized to test the relationship between each pair of variables. The primary analysis consists of negative binomial regression models. Findings from the both the preliminary and primary analyses indicate that although both hypotheses were not rejected, they received little support.

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