Religious Diversity in Prisons: Chaplaincy and Contention

Prisons are sites of contention for many reasons, but the provision of religious and spiritual care to prisoners has long been regarded as a way of mitigating some of the most contentious aspects of prison regimes. Nevertheless, the growth of religious diversity among prisoners in recent decades has given rise to some new bones of contention which are closely related to questions of equality, justice and human rights. The aim of this article is to examine the relationships between religious diversity and contentious issues in prisons by drawing on interviews conducted with Hindu, Muslim and Sikh chaplains in the prisons of England and Wales in 2010 and 2011. The analysis shows that the growth of religious diversity in prisons is associated with problems concerning the official recognition of religions, the facilities and resources made available for religious purposes, the limitations placed on religious practices, and the status of chaplains. Some of these issues have a gendered dimension and are refracted differently by assimilationist and multicultural policies.