The Prison Religion Project
Prison Religion Project Overview
The Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism has been a leader in protecting incarcerated people’s religious liberty rights since its founding in 2008.
Center Director Barbara A. McGraw began this work in 1996 as an expert witness on religious liberty issues in California’s Pelican Bay State Prison. Her work evolved from serving as a volunteer chaplain to prison advocacy, ultimately leading to the creation of the Prison Religion Project.
In June 2025, the John Templeton Foundation awarded Professor McGraw a three-year, $1 million grant to support and expand the Center’s Prison Religion Project.
"While religion offers a vital source of meaning, belonging, and personal transformation, for millions—including those who are incarcerated—many in our nation's prisons are denied the right to practice their religions/spiritualities due to systemic barriers."
— Dr. Barbara A. McGraw
Understanding religious pluralism in correctional institutions.
The Prison Religion Project serves as a bridge to greater understanding at the intersection of religious pluralism, incarcerated people’s rights, and institutional policy.
Religious accommodation is a legal obligation, is the right thing to do, and serves correctional institution best practices goals.
Incarcerated individuals do not lose their religious rights. Federal laws address how those rights should be "accommodated" in correctional settings.
State and Local Facilities
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) requires correctional authorities to avoid imposing substantial burdens on religious exercise.
View RLUIPA statute
Federal Facilities
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) applies the same standard to federal correctional institutions.
View RFRA statute
Our Purpose
Turning legal principles into informed practice.
The Project creates practical resources and constructive dialogue for people working across diverse correctional environments.
01
Creating a forum for inclusive discussion
02
Supporting those who oversee chaplaincy and religious accommodation as they navigate religious diversity
03
Encouraging mutual understanding and lawful accommodation across institutions
04
Providing educational materials
Our Method
Research-Dialogue Method
The Center convenes officials responsible for chaplaincy and religious programs in correctional institutions to engage in facilitated dialogue with one another and with our religion, law, and correctional experts.
These dialogues address:
- Challenges of Religious Diversity
- Legal Requirements
- Policy Development
- Institutional Culture
To learn more about this method, See Dr. Barbara McGraw's chapter "From Prison Religion to Interfaith Leadership for Institutional Change” in Interreligious/Interfaith Studies: Defining a New Field Eboo Patel, Jennifer Howe Peace, and Noah Silverman, eds. (Beacon Press, 2018).
Templeton-Funded Expansion
Launched in September 2025, the Templeton-funded project explores how correctional institutions can become exemplars of religious liberty, pluralism, and institutional change. Through research, training, and public educational resources, the project aims to foster deeper understanding of religious diversity in correctional settings.
Grant period: September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2028
Project title: Prison Religion: Advancing Religious Liberty in Correctional Institutions as Exemplars of Pluralism and Institutional Change
Project Components
Regional/State Workshops
Six regional one-day workshops: Two regional workshops per year, focus on religious diversity, legal frameworks, and diverse religions in correctional environments.
National Training Workshops
Two National Workshops: Planned for November 2026 and November 2027. For professionals who oversee chaplaincy and religious accommodation for their states.
Academic Outputs
Academic Research and Publications: Research will examine how religious liberty law affects policies, practices, culture, and personnel attitudes within correctional institutions. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and shared at academic conferences.
Publications
Narrative Book: Dr. McGraw will author a book documenting nearly 30 years of experience working in correctional settings—from volunteer chaplain to national trainer—highlighting personal stories, institutional transformations, and insights.
Forthcoming
Online Resource Repository: A public-facing online repository hosted by Saint Mary’s College will offer best practices, legal guidance, and educational tools for correctional institutions nationwide.
Workshops & Trainings
Bringing corrections, legal, and religious-diversity expertise into practical dialogue about religious accommodation.
Project Leadership
Barbara A. McGraw, JD, PhD
Project Leader
Professor of Social Ethics, Law, and Public Life; Professor of Politics; Director, Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism, Saint Mary's College of California
Yuan Li, PhD
Scholar Collaborator
Professor of Management and Organization Theory, Saint Mary’s College of California
Eric Mazur, PhD
Scholar Collaborator
Gloria & David Furman Professor of Judaic Studies; Professor of Religious Studies, Batten University
James A. Sonne, JD
Consultant
Stanford Law Professor & Founding Director, Religious Liberty Clinic.
Kelli Willard West, MSSW
Consultant
Religious Practices Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Division of Adult Institutions (retired after 15 years)
Meet the Project Team
A multidisciplinary team of scholars, practitioners, and student researchers
Looking Ahead
Over three years, the Prison Religion Project will promote research, training, and dialogue that strengthen religious liberty, pluralism, and human dignity in correctional institutions—advancing the mission of Saint Mary’s College to serve the common good.
- The Pluralism Project at Harvard/Prisons/Selected Links - Provides links to religious organizations involved in prison ministry and issues.
- "Enforcing Religious Freedom in Prison" – United States Commission on Civil Rights
- "Religion in Prisons: 50 State Survey of Prison Chaplains" – Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
- The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty's Resource on RLUIPA - Addresses prison religion cases and other cases under RLUIPA.