Finland Times

Prisoner inside Vantaa prison. File Photo Lehtikuva.

The majority of the inmates currently in Finnish prisons consider themselves as religious, said a report published on Friday.

The report jointly prepared by the board of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and Criminal Sanctions Agency also said that the inmates want time allocated to them in order to have connection with their faiths during the time of imprisonment.

 

According to the report, more than half of the male inmates and two-thirds of female inmates consider themselves religious.

One third of inmates reported to have experienced some sort of change in their faith during the time of their imprisonment.

Typically, the significance of religion is highlighted or the prisoner's value system is changed during their incarceration.

Finnish prisoners are more actively involved in worship than other Finns. The work of prison priests involves a lot of personal soul care with main topic of discussion centred on personal relationships.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church prison chaplains cooperate with other Christian denominations and revival movements, as well as other religions.