Ethnic and religious diversity among prisoners: The politics of prison chaplaincy

Using data collected in the course of an empirical study of prison chaplaincy in England and Wales, the author begins by establishing the sociological distinctiveness of social settings in which the "normal" freedom to practise the religion of one's choice is limited. The paper's main argument is that the growth of religious diversity and the spread of religious indifference are now in tension with the privileged position of the Church of England in prison chaplaincy in this region. The Anglican chaplain's obligation and willingness to "facilitate" the religious practices of prisoners belonging to Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith communities are meeting with increasing demands for independence on the part of their own Visiting Ministers in prisons. The concluding section of the paper examines three political dilemmas facing both the Church of England and "other faiths" in prison chaplaincy