Religion in prison: Standard structuring, self-rehabilitation, resistance strategies

This article analyses the role of religions in various types of French prisons. Religion allows inmates to structure their lives. It also has various others therapeutic functions, tranquillization, meaning and self-rehabilitation. The inmates make a strategic use of religious activities and chaplains in order to meet other inmates, to understand their trial or to contest authority. Inmates turn from different faiths to religion in very similar manners, except for contestation which is specific to Muslims. The article shows the specificities of the uses of religion in prison and their position at the interstices of the system. Adapted from the source document.