ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AMONG PRISONERS - THE POLITICS OF PRISON CHAPLAINCY

Using data collected in the course of an empirical study of prison cha plaincy in England and Wales, the author begins by establishing the so ciological distinctiveness of social settings in which the ''normal'' freedom to practise the religion of one's choice is limited. The paper 's main argument is that the growth of religious diversity and the spr ead of religious indifference are now in tension with the privileged p osition of the Church of England in prison chaplaincy in this region. The Anglican chaplain's obligation and willingness to ''facilitate'' t he religious practices of prisoners belonging to Buddhist, Hindu, Jewi sh, Muslim and Sikh faith communities are meeting with increasing dema nds for independence on the part of their own Visiting Ministers in pr isons. The concluding section of the paper examines three political di lemmas facing both the Church of England and ''other faiths'' in priso n chaplaincy.