Religious Education of Convicts: Features, Problems, Improvement Solutions
Pisarev O.M., Zautorova E.V. Religious education of convicts: features, problems, improvement solutions. Penitentiary Science, 2026, vol. 20, no. 1 (73), pp. 108–115. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2026.73.1.013.
in modern society, more and more attention is being paid to the protection of human rights and freedoms, including in places of deprivation of liberty. One of the most important aspects is ensuring religious freedom, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In this regard, such an area of educational work as religious education of convicts deserves special attention. Educational work with religious prisoners is an important activity of the penitentiary system contributing to their re-socialization, formation of law-abiding behavior and spiritual and moral development. The article discusses problems of organizing work with religious convicts in penitentiary institutions. Practical obstacles to the implementation of religious education in conditions of isolation and the realization of religious rights and freedoms of convicts are analyzed. Recommendations are proposed for improving work with religious prisoners, taking into account the religious specifics and needs of this category of persons. Purpose: to identify the features, problems and ways to improve the religious education of convicts in places of deprivation of liberty. Methods: method of analysis of literary sources, psychological verbal and communicative method, questionnaire. Results: the data obtained allow us to draw several important conclusions regarding the nature of the religious needs of convicts. There is a relative balance between religious demands and the need for psychological support; the totality of categories such as spiritual issues, communication, and family problems accounts for 77.1% of all appeals, indicating the dominance of personality-oriented, dialogical forms of interaction over formal or material aspects of religious practice. The structure of appeals reflects the specifics of the conditions of imprisonment and religious care performs compensatory and therapeutic functions. The organization of religious education should be based not only on familiarization with religious values and satisfaction of direct religious needs, but also on the willingness to provide comprehensive support, affecting the social, emotional and family aspects of the life of convicts. Conclusions: religious education in places of detention and respect for religious rights and freedoms of convicts are an important factor contributing to the formation of lawabiding behavior and spiritual and moral development of a person. The following groups of factors influencing the effectiveness of educational work on the spiritual and moral support of persons deprived of liberty are identified: nature of the problem; personality of the suspected, accused, and convicted; personality of the priest; organizational conditions; and systemic factors. Taking these factors into account will contribute to improving forms and methods of religious education of suspected, accused and convicted persons in isolation, as well as creating organizational conditions for its implementation.
Keywords: penal system; correctional institutions; educational work; religious prisoners; religious education
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