Faith-Based Prison Rehabilitation Vindicated?

A recent study indicates that prisoners who graduate from Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship's program are much less likely to return to crime. Conducted by Byron Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society, will be used to support more calls for using religion not only in prisons, but in social services across the country.

There is just one problem: the study never bothered to compare Colson's Prison Fellowship ministry with any secular programs designed to reduce recidivism. The study only shows that the spiritual counseling, job training and mentoring are better than nothing at all - but not better than secular programs. Maybe secular programs are even better?

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