Theorising religion, crime and the system of criminal justice: A moral economy perspective

Abstract

Most academic work in the related domains of religion, faith and crime theorise the religion-crime nexus to facilitate social conformity. Additionally, empirical research attends to the effi cacy of religion to reduce or prevent crime in the community, during and following release from custody. In other words, the orthodox theoretical and empirical enterprise is largely directed towards individual off enders and instrumental reductions in off ending behaviour. Contrastingly, the purpose and scope of this chapter proceed beyond a narrowly constructed theoretical and empirical individual metanoia (change of heart and mind) to the system of criminal justice itself.This more unorthodox approach from the other end is pursued by directing attention towards the complex and contested conceptual lens of moral economy (Whitehead 2015a) in its relevance for, and application to, the functioning of the criminal justice system primarily in England and Wales.