Religion, Crime, and Criminal Justice

This chapter reviews the evidence on the relationship between religion, crime, and the criminal justice system. It highlights a growing body of research showing a consistent inverse association between religiosity and criminal behaviour, suggesting that higher levels of religious involvement are often linked to lower levels of offending.

The authors also discuss how these findings can inform crime prevention strategies and criminal justice policy. They argue that collaboration between faith communities and criminal justice systems may strengthen prevention efforts and contribute to more effective responses to crime.

Overall, the chapter provides an overview of the evidence supporting the role of religion as one of several factors that may contribute to crime prevention and inform justice policy and practice.