Islamophobia and the Benefits and Challenges for Prison Imams

• Published in: Islamophobia studies journal 2024-10, Vol.8 (2), p.246-260
• Main Authors: Gacek, James, Asfari, Amin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chaplains; Islam; Literature reviews; Living wage; Muslims; Prisoners; Prisons; Rehabilitation; Religion; Religious identity
• ISSN: 2325-839X; 2325-8381; 2325-8381; 2325-839X
• DOI: 10.13169/islastudj.8.2.0246

Increasingly, religion plays a significant role in the rehabilitation of inmates across the US and Canada. While there is no shortage of literature on the effects of religion within penal institutions, there is a lacuna of scholarship dealing with Islam in carceral spaces. American and Canadian prisons offer unique opportunities to understand the relationship between Muslim chaplains and the prison experience more broadly. Based upon a substantive review of the literature, our conceptual article will examine ongoing challenges with prison chaplaincy within US and Canadian prisons. Broadly, findings suggest that existing structures for religious services for Muslim inmates are neither unified nor systemic, often lacking in funding and resources. Moreover, we find that Muslim chaplains often perceive inequitable treatment by prison authorities due to their historic underrepresentation as well as their religious affiliation. Our discussion will highlight the disparities in penal settings and make recommendations, including but not limited to the need to increase public investment in prison chaplaincy, the need to pay imams-as-chaplains a living wage to help prisoners, and the deradicalization effects of a well-funded and well-trained Muslim chaplaincy, among others.