Religion played a foundational role in early models of incarceration but it has often been marginalised in contemporary criminology reflecting societal shifts towards secularisation. This internationally comparative panel addresses the marginalisation by considering who religious people of faith are and how religious faith, and those who administer it, affect prison life. The panel combines academic and practitioner experiences drawn from varied theoretical and methodological perspectives. Two papers examine Muslim populations in European prisons identifying criminogenic risks but focusing upon rehabilitation and the development and application of coherent interventions. Expanding the comparative dimension, two further contributions analyse the rehabilitative potential and challenges to Chaplaincy in Canada. One paper evaluates multifaith volunteer collaboration and recommendations for improved staff-training and resources for rehabilitation. A second joint paper draws upon surveys and interviews to present a meaningful SWOT analysis identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of religious services in Canadian correctional contexts.


Paper Title 1: Mapping Muslims in European Prisons: 2018-2021.
Presenter: Prof Muzammil Quraishi, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Salford

Paper Title 2: Developing Interventions for Muslims in Prison: 2021-2026
Presenter: Prof Matthew L N Wilkinson, Professor of Religion in Public Life, Cardiff University

Paper Title 3: Overcoming Chaplaincy Challenges to Support Faith and Rehabilitation in Prisons
Presenter: Dr. Brad Shoemaker, Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto, Former Correctional Chaplain

Paper Title 4: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats: A SWOT Analysis of Chaplaincy /Religious Services in Modern Canadian Contexts
Presenters:
Prof. Nawal Ammar, Professor & Dean of College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Rowan University, New Jersey, USA,
Prof. Carla Cesaroni, Professor & Associate Dean, School of Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities Ontario Tech University, Ontario, Canada