Chapter 8
In: Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion. Volume 12 (2021)
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Abstract
Our aim is to explain how religious freedoms are applied in Czech prisons. We present how, in a post-communist, repressive environment, religion is established, and then we demonstrate the role of the conceptualization and promotion of religious freedom requirements in interactions between prisoners, prison staff, and chaplains. Our findings show there is a power struggle occurring against the backdrop of a conflict of ideologies. At the heart of the struggle are different approaches to working with convicts and a latent dispute over the importance and role of religion in prison settings. Key actors apply different strategies in their approaches to convicts. These strategies frame experiences of religious freedom.