In their own words: Offenders’ perspectives on their participation in a faith-based diversion and reentry program

Although research has focused on the effectiveness of faith-based programs in many settings, little research has examined the qualitative impact on those who participate in them. Graduates from a faith-based community correctional program were interviewed to examine their successful reentry. This research fills a gap in the previous literature by qualitatively exploring how program participation impacted the participants individually. Using the “hooks for change” theoretical framework (Giordano, Cernkovich, & Rudolph, 2002 Giordano, P. C., Cernkovich, S. A., & Rudolph, J. L. (2002). Gender, crime, and desistance: Toward a theory of cognitive transformation. American Journal of Sociology, 107, 990–1064. doi:10.1086/343191[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), this research analyzes what graduates report about their experiences as they worked to become crime-free.