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Public Support for Faith-Based Correctional Programs: Should Sacred Places Serve Civic Purposes?

Abstract In light of President Bush's enthusiastic support and numerous initiatives, there is a growing call to fund “faith-based” social service programs, including those focused on juvenile and adult offenders. These programs are controversial because they seek to reconfigure the line separating church and state. Based on a national 2001 survey of 327 respondents, we assessed public support for this policy initiative. The major findings were: (1) the respondents were divided evenly on whether the government should fund faith-based correctional programs; (2) a clear majority opposed having a religious content to the programs; (3) most opposed discrimination on religious grounds in the hiring of program staff; (4) a clear majority favored funding all religious groups as opposed to only “Christian churches”; and (5) the respondents did not view faith-based programs as more, or less, effective than traditional correctional rehabilitation programs. The study also explored the policy implications of these findings.