Are there more Atheists or religious people in prisons?

Question

An Atheist recently started writing e-mail rants to me making all kinds of crazy statements about Atheists being peace loving, all while calling me more names and communicating more anger than I can possibly communicate here.

This caused me to refresh my memory on Atheists in Prison, where this guy obviously belongs.

We know from Department of Justice records that 80 percent of first time offenders have no religion prior to being incarcerated. They do not engage in any religious activities, prayer, church, etc and have no set form of belief system.

Once in prison these numbers reverse so that 80% become affiliated with a religion and 20% stay irreligious, not believing in any deities.

This change is obviously because of the prison ministries and services that religious organizations engage in.

Half the guys who keep getting tossed back in prison are those with no religious beliefs.

The data is on the DOJ website.

So, more atheists or religious people in prison?

Thirty responses, that kind of blows me away. I am cooking dinner so I can't read them all.

Did I not make it plain that data was pulled from DOJ.gov? Can people not use a web browser or search engine?

Wait a second, if you ask someone if they believe in any gods or religions and they say "No", it does not mean they are Atheist?

Not believing in gods or religion does not make you an Atheist. Very interesting argument.

Thanks for the link, my rolls are not quite done and I had some time.

http://www.adherents.com/misc/adh_prison.html

None/Atheist/Unknown 18,537 19.908%

Not a DOJ website, I notice you changed the data you posted.

nice to see propagandists are still up to the same old tricks.

Thanks, everyone else will know how lame you are as soon as they check your source.

Interestingly this morning a Google search on DOJ.gov returns no documents with prison in the text. I have to ask myself how that is possible, however, fortunately we had an Atheist post a website where they reproduce DOJ data and then change that data and post it here, with a link to the site where the data came from. Not very smart.

Because of my stance on choice, abortion and religion I have gotten rants from the religious also, nothing like what I received from this atheist though. This went way beyond not liking an opinion.

My opinion previous to this, even having read this information before, was that people of any belief system did bad things. The current data does not support my conclusion, and neither do most of the "answers" to this question.

The data supports that .2% of the population at large do not believe in any kind of God and 20% of the prison population do not believe in any kind of God.

Interesting statistic.

Cesario, I liked your answer but what I said is that 80% of people who go to Prison have no religious beliefs before they go to Prison and only 20% do.

The statistics, even from adherents (where they post data and come up with some conclusions not supported by the data), reflect that 80% of people who go to prison have no beliefs. While there the majority "convert" to a religion.

So people get sent to prison in a 4:1 ratio, "atheists" to "believers".

In prison the trend reverses statistically, but, does in reverse in actuality?

The anecdotal evidence below suggests it does not. The data suggests that prisoners claim a religious affiliation to receive goods or services from prison ministries and or to receive preferential treatment from parole boards.

Thanks for a decent answer, there are several. I like sonfai81, Towelieb, DC, CSI, tebone, Donald and Thanku. Reasonable answers that I tend to agree with.

Answer 1

Having been in prison for a stretch, and having lived the question, I say more agnostics and atheists are inside the walls. Many of those who attend religious services in the joint go to socialize and get out of their cells, work, or off their units. Sometimes, because of opposing yard periods, it is the only time and place that a person can connect with their running dogs. Most who practice on the inside do not practice on the outside. The faithful are the few.

As far as swaying the board, forget it! Religion is suspect for them. They know the game.

Wow people! Get a grip! Prisons are Godless places! Yes, I attended religious services while down but it was a fight to make them happen. The yard is packed by comparison to the chapel. Violence and drugs dominate. Prisons aren't positive. I say those statistics are bogus. Use primary research evidence and not government propaganda designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy about caging men and women!

Now more stats below. those only reflect the percentages of those who do claim an affiliation. Many claim to gain benefits like scented oils, matches (in nonsmoking joints) for smudging or incense, and stuff like that. These stats only reflect the numbers of those who sign the paper and not the overall population. Wake up!!!!!!

Answer 2

I note two things about this question.

First, as someone already showed, the statistics quoted are bogus. Atheists are far less likely to go to prison than theists. Also, as was also noted, the asker confuses atheism with lack of a solid religious affiliation. The new statistic he posted has the same problem--it conflates several groups that are not at all the same! Being an atheist is not at all the same as being, say, a non-practicing Catholic. The percentage reporting religious preferences is about the same for prisoners as for the general population, and, as stated on the page you linked, only 0.2% of prisoners identify as atheist. Your 20% figure is the number of people who left the question blank on the survey. Stop with your lies!

Second, note that he thinks that the guy arguing with him deserves to go to prison... for nonviolent disagreement! Why is it that religious people all over the world think that those who disagree need to be punished? This is why so many have been pushing to make blasphemy a crime again.

It's sickening. Fortunately, in America, Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (including my choice not to be religious), and I get my freedom of speech, as well.

Religious people sure have a poor record on freedom of speech lately (cf. the Muhammed cartoons).

Answer 3

"This change is obviously because of the prison ministries and services that religious organizations engage in."
I think you're giving prison ministries and the like way too much credit. Finding religion has become a staple on the resume of a prisoner hoping for parole. Claiming religion also just gives them something to do.
Most prisoners have no sense of religion until the moments before a verdict is announce. After they're convicted their belief in a higher power subsides to its original level....at least until it's time for their appeal. And then they become holier than thou.

Answer 4

A quick search found this from 1997:
http://holysmoke.org/icr-pri.htm

To quote:

The Federal Bureau of Prisons does have statistics on religious affiliations of inmates. The following are total number of inmates per religion category:

Response Number %
---------------------------- --------
Catholic 29267 39.164%
Protestant 26162 35.008%
Muslim 5435 7.273%
American Indian 2408 3.222%
Nation 1734 2.320%
Rasta 1485 1.987%
Jewish 1325 1.773%
Church of Christ 1303 1.744%
Pentecostal 1093 1.463%
Moorish 1066 1.426%
Buddhist 882 1.180%
Jehovah Witness 665 0.890%
Adventist 621 0.831%
Orthodox 375 0.502%
Mormon 298 0.399%
Scientology 190 0.254%
Atheist 156 0.209%
Hindu 119 0.159%
Santeria 117 0.157%
Sikh 14 0.019%
Bahai 9 0.012%
Krishna 7 0.009%

So to answer your specific question:
"Are there more Atheists in prison?"
No, there are not.

But this isn't a very good question, is it? What if there are so few Atheists that an overwhelming majority of them are incarcerated? A percentage like that would be much more telling about the position, wouldn't it?

So, as of March 1997, what percentage of people in the US are Atheists? If that number is less than 0.209%, then Atheism could be tentatively linked to crime.

Taken from:
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#gallup

If we use the "None" category in the table, we see 6% in 1997, based on a Gallop poll.

So, 6% of all Americans (at the time) had no religion, yet the federal prison system told us that less than one quarter of one percent of all of their inmates would describe themselves as Atheistic.

So, judge it for yourself: are the Atheists less likely to commit federal crimes, or are they less likely to get caught?

Answer 5

I dont dispute the statistics you quoted but Im going to say religious only because the Bible speaks of many who will come saying "Lord Lord" and Jesus will say "I never knew you". There is a huge spiritual distinction between those that believe there is a God but dont live a committed life for the Lord that fall under the label "religious" and those that Believe and Practice. I would even venture to say, those that believe and practice, are in a smaller minority that those who profess atheism.

Ultimately, I believe that those people in jail suffer from not just a lack of faith or the absence of it, but from spirits that have been compromised by the principalities and powers spoken of in Ephesians 6:12 and unfortunately, those that are able to "drive the unclean spirit out" while incarcerated, come out to find 7 more wicked spirits than the first ready to come in and without a strong foundation in Christ, they succumb again and their last state is worst than the first. Matt12:45

Answer 6

Atheists represent 0.2% of the U.S. prison population. Christians represent 80%. Various other religions make up the rest.

Obviously there are more religious people in prison than atheists no matter how you look at it.

There's a breakdown by religion at the link below. The author of the site contacted the Federal Bureau of Prisons and they provided the statistics to him.

Answer 7

Many innocent people get lock up now a days unfairly, some are prejudged by cops who lie and think they are some type of God. Some of our Courts are corrupted, they don't care if your innocent or guilty, just put you on the streets on a program that don't work, so these innocent ones think they get out easier, but find out they are stuck in the system that make them worse than when they first entered as an innocent man. I wish I can fight this system and change it to where it works for everyone, it can be done, and I know how, but it would cost money to change over this helpless system, who would listen to me, some of these corrupted courts..... ha..... they won't make money any more....... the only way is to spend millions to change the screw up system...... Jesus Christ would come before that happens on this planet.
~!~

Answer 8

John- "This caused me to refresh my memory on Atheists in Prison, where this guy obviously belongs."

After reading asinine statements like the 1 above, it's hard to take you seriously. In your perfect world would everyone who doesn't think too highly of you be sent to prison (or even better, HELL)?

Anyway, according to the The Federal Bureau of Prisons, atheists make up less than 1% of the US prison population. So no matter how you try to cook the stats (speaking of cooking stats, where exactly did you get your numbers?), the vast majority of recidivists are NOT atheist.

I think it's comical that a Christian would accuse the atheist community of being innately bad when Christianity revolves around adherence to a specific brand of dogma in order to achieve eternal bliss, not proper conduct in society.

In other words, you'd say the child killer who finds "God" will spend eternity with the Lord while the atheist humanist will burn in eternal hellfire for denying "God".

What does that make you? Your "God"? I see no moral fortitude here.

-John, read your own source. It contradicts exactly what you're insinuating. I suggest you read it slooooowly.

When you offer a link it should support your argument, not demolish it (just a hint for future reference ;)

Answer 9

Your data sounds about right. From everything I have ever read or heard, they all become religious in prison/jail. Why? because it looks good in court and to probation/parole officers. To say one has now changed and became religious when they were never religious before is an act an a lie. And the majority of them when let out of prison/jail go back to old behaviors and are now no longer religious

Answer 10

How can you make the assumption that Atheists belong in prison? Just because one is angry and hateful doesn't mean all of us are. I'm extremely sarcastic and almost incapable of having a serious discussion with people I don't feel comfortable with, but that's not all Atheists either.

I always thought that there were more Christians in prison than anything else. That's what I've seen.