The increase in religious pluralism is having a major impact on state institutions and migration-related developments at both the social and the political level. Religious allegiances and practices have multiplied and acquired a new significance in recent years: More and more individuals and groups now express their identity in terms of their religion and in doing so expose cultural and political differences with the majority population which are frequently deemed a source of conflict. Prisons are directly affected by these developments. In most European countries, including Switzerland, the number of non-native and non-Christian inmates has been increasing steadily for about two decades. This project will examine the key social, cultural and political challenges to which this increase in religious pluralism in prisons has given rise. Objective The project will take a critical look at the alleged link between prison inmates' practice of religion and the extent to which this is perceivec as a danger to society. The problem will be analysed from three different perspectives: that of the prisons as institutions, that of the inmates and their families and dependents, and that of public discourse. The study will take both a sociological and historical approach. Significance The study will document the socio-religious changes currently taking place in Switzerland's prisons and in their environment. It will also place these developments in a European context, as religious pluralism in European prisons is handled very differently from country to country. The cantonal differences within Switzerland itself will also be taken into account. The survey also aims to promote an understanding of the new demands being made of state institutions and policymakers not only by prisoners and prison administrators, but also by the various religious communities.
