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Cited by 274Religion, Spirituality, and PsychologyCriminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisIdentity, Memory, and Therapy

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 79 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Why God Is Often Found Behind Bars: Prison Conversions and the Crisis of Self-Narrative

Maruna, Shadd, Wilson, Louise, Curran, Kathryn·2006·Research in Human Development
DOI 10.1207/s15427617rhd0302&3_6
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Abstract

The jail cell conversion from "sinner" to true believer may be one of the best examples of a "second chance" in modern life, yet the process receives far more attention from the popular media than from social science research. In this article, we explore prisoner conversions from the perspective of narrative psychology. Drawing on 75 original, life story interviews with prisoner "converts," we argue that the conversion narrative "works" as a shame management and coping strategy in the following ways. The narrative creates a new social identity to replace the label of prisoner or criminal, imbues the experience of imprisonment with purpose and meaning, empowers the largely powerless prisoner by turning him into an agent of God, provides the prisoner with a language and framework for forgiveness, and allows a sense of control over an unknown future.

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Crossref · 10.1207/s15427617rhd0302&3_6

Cites

65 of 65 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

Cites

Show all 79 references

Research works printed but not linked: 13

  1. Arnold, J. G. (1987). The yoke of anger. In J. D. Day & W. S. Laufer (Eds.), Crime, values and religion (pp. 211-233). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  2. Bruner J., 1987, Social Research, 54, 11
  3. Day, J. D. (1987). Methods, morals, and meanings: On psychology, religion and effects. In J. D. Day & W. S. Laufer (Eds.), Crime, values and religion (pp. 234-252). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  4. Freeman, M. (1993). Rewriting the self. London: Routledge.
  5. Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity. Cambridge, England: Polity Press.
  6. Hiebert, P. G. (1992). Conversion in Hinduism and Buddhism. In H. N. Malony & S. Southard (Eds.), Handbook of religious conversion (pp. 9-21). Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.
  7. Irwin, J. (1970). The felon. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  8. James, W. (1985). The varieties of religious experience. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin. (Original work published 1902)
  9. Peck D. L., 1987, Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behaviour Technology Methods and Therapy, 33, 165
  10. Snow D. A., 1980, Social Problems, 27, 430, 10.1525/sp.1980.27.4.03a00070 · DOI
  11. Strauss, A. L. (1969). Mirrors and masks: The search for identity. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
  12. White, W. L. (1996). Pathways from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery (2nd ed.). Center City, MN: Hazelden.
  13. Woodberry, J. D. (1992). Conversion in Islam. In H. N. Malony & S. Southard (Eds.), Handbook of religious conversion (pp. 22-39). Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.

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Metadata

Authors
Maruna, S., Wilson, L., & Curran, K.
Affiliations
Queen's University Belfast (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Research in Human Development
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2006-09-01
Volume
3
Issue
2
Pages
161-184
ISSN
1542-7609 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1207/s15427617rhd0302&3_6
OpenAlex
W1964845442
Cited by
274
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 4
FWCI
1.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Research in Human Development (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
Keywords
religious conversion, self-narrative, shame management, coping strategies, social identity, forgiveness, meaning-making, life story interviews, narrative psychology, second chances

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Why God Is Often Found Behind Bars: Prison Conversions and the Crisis of Self-Narrative. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1207/s15427617rhd0302&3_6
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Maruna, S., Wilson, L., & Curran, K. (2006). Why God Is Often Found Behind Bars: Prison Conversions and the Crisis of Self-Narrative. Research in Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15427617rhd0302%263_6