Sacred and Profane: The Complexity of Prison Spirituality

As one who worked closely with probation and parole teams, I’ve watched this pantomime unfold time and again, and I’m always struck by the theater of it all. The inmates walk into the parole hearings clutching Bibles to their chests as if they were lifelines, a uniform act that has become so routine it’s almost ritualistic. Yet, most parole board members barely bat an eye; they’ve seen this act countless times before. They know that this pious display, complete with puppy dog eyes, is usually just that: a display. It’s a maneuver in a complex dance of manipulation and judgment, an attempt to sway the outcome in their favor. The whole scene brings up a host of questions about authenticity. When does faith transition from genuine belief to a prop used for personal gain? How does a system meant to be impartial account for the human trait of duplicity? The board members are not exempt from this struggle; they must discern between genuine transformation and clever performance. And let’s not forget, they, too, are playing their roles in this orchestrated drama. <a href="https://medium.com/@michaeljohnscott/sacred-and-profane-the-complexity-of-prison-spirituality-2b37dbebf474">Visit Now</a>