Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Nialler · 07-02-2002, 10:27 AM

Does anyone have a link to reliable source for the oft-quoted stats that the population of prisons shows far less atheists by proportion that there are in society?

I've been searching for this for an hour...

UnaffiliatedOld · 07-02-2002, 11:15 AM

<a href="http://www.holysmoke.org/icr-pri.htm" target="_blank">stats</a>

Someone else posted this a while ago, but I don't remeber who

PJPSYCO · 07-03-2002, 08:18 PM

I've posted it a couple of times, and there are at a number of other people who have also posted the statistics.

JL · 07-05-2002, 07:23 AM

Interesting stuff. I've always assumed the percentages were in proportion to those of the entire population.

scarmig · 07-05-2002, 08:51 AM

It's easier to get paroled if you "reform". Becoming 'saved' is practically a requirement to shortening a sentence, if I understand prison life correctly. (Not that I've been there, but sources say...)

Keith Russell · 07-16-2002, 01:21 PM

Greetings:

Gosh, there's yet another reason not to commit a crime.

I would hate to have to state that I was a believer--even if I wasn't doing so sincerly.

Keith.

Corwin · 07-16-2002, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scarmig:
<strong>It's easier to get paroled if you "reform". Becoming 'saved' is practically a requirement to shortening a sentence, if I understand prison life correctly. (Not that I've been there, but sources say...)</strong>

Not so much anymore. A lot of states have started passing 'proof in sentencing' laws.... so... no parole? No parole boards to con with 'FINDIN JAEYSUS!!!!!'

GeoTheo · 07-16-2002, 01:58 PM

So I suppose the conclusion is that atheists are more "moral" than theists?
Why not just more intelligent? Or maybe a more detailed profile of being more generally affluent, educated and white? Does this fit the profile of the average prison inmate?

Hallucigenia · 07-16-2002, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GeoTheo:
<strong>So I suppose the conclusion is that atheists are more "moral" than theists?</strong>

Or, perhaps, theists are less moral than they claim....

Corwin · 07-16-2002, 02:23 PM

The point is geo, that atheists comprise a dramatically lower percent of the prison population than we do at large... we aren't talking about a few percentage points here, we're talking about easily a factor of ten.

In any other survey we'd be looking for a cause, and the news would be soundly debunking and discrediting the myth that atheists can't be moral or ethical, since clearly we don't break the law as much. (Or don't get caught as much.... but odds are that alone wouldn't last long enough to account for the difference.)

07-02-2002, 10:27 AM	#1
Nialler Banned Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Paris Posts: 8,473	Prison stats and atheism Does anyone have a link to reliable source for the oft-quoted stats that the population of prisons shows far less atheists by proportion that there are in society? I've been searching for this for an hour...

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07-02-2002, 11:15 AM	#2
UnaffiliatedOld Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 105	<a href="http://www.holysmoke.org/icr-pri.htm" target="_blank">stats</a> Someone else posted this a while ago, but I don't remeber who

07-03-2002, 08:18 PM	#3
PJPSYCO Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Rolla, Missouri Posts: 830	I've posted it a couple of times, and there are at a number of other people who have also posted the statistics.

07-05-2002, 07:23 AM	#4
JL Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mawkish Virtue, NC Posts: 151	Interesting stuff. I've always assumed the percentages were in proportion to those of the entire population.

07-05-2002, 08:51 AM	#5
scarmig Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 689	It's easier to get paroled if you "reform". Becoming 'saved' is practically a requirement to shortening a sentence, if I understand prison life correctly. (Not that I've been there, but sources say...)

07-16-2002, 01:21 PM	#6
Keith Russell Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Overland Park, Kansas Posts: 1,336	Greetings: Gosh, there's yet another reason not to commit a crime. I would hate to have to state that I was a believer--even if I wasn't doing so sincerly. Keith.

07-16-2002, 01:58 PM	#8
GeoTheo Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Bemidji Posts: 1,197	So I suppose the conclusion is that atheists are more "moral" than theists? Why not just more intelligent? Or maybe a more detailed profile of being more generally affluent, educated and white? Does this fit the profile of the average prison inmate?

07-16-2002, 02:23 PM	#10
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	The point is geo, that atheists comprise a dramatically lower percent of the prison population than we do at large... we aren't talking about a few percentage points here, we're talking about easily a factor of ten. In any other survey we'd be looking for a cause, and the news would be soundly debunking and discrediting the myth that atheists can't be moral or ethical, since clearly we don't break the law as much. (Or don't get caught as much.... but odds are that alone wouldn't last long enough to account for the difference.)

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