There exists a wide breadth of literature in regards to the harmful and dehumanizing impact of incarceration on human development and dignity. Through my years as a volunteer in detention ministry, I have witnessed firsthand these effects particularly on youths who have been incarcerated. My experiences have led me to wonder then, “Why does the prison system still exist to harm people despite the array of research condemning its practices?” Through this pondering, I critiqued the larger systems at play: the prison-industrial complex, the sociopolitical rhetoric of “tough on crime,” and the overall demonization of this population. As a response to this dominant narrative, this study sought to explore the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers. Through a heuristic methodology and with the theoretical underpinnings of Critical Pedagogy, Catholic Social Teaching, Liberation Theology, and Restorative Justice, I gathered data–the reflections, testimonies, and stories–from other volunteers who served as collaborators within this study. I identified four major themes that emerged from the data: (1) God within this context, (2) detention ministry as a classroom, (3) critiques of justice, and (4) solidarity to transformation. The conversations with my collaborators suggested that the experiences of volunteers ultimately shed insight into the lives of those impacted by incarceration as well as put a spotlight on their humanity. This study highlighted the need for rehumanization: transformation within the prison system calls for a shift in perspectives, an altering of attitudes, and a change of heart around the demonization of this vulnerable population.
","abstract_html":"<p>There exists a wide breadth of literature in regards to the harmful and dehumanizing impact of incarceration on human development and dignity. Through my years as a volunteer in detention ministry, I have witnessed firsthand these effects particularly on youths who have been incarcerated. My experiences have led me to wonder then, “Why does the prison system still exist to harm people despite the array of research condemning its practices?” Through this pondering, I critiqued the larger systems at play: the prison-industrial complex, the sociopolitical rhetoric of “tough on crime,” and the overall demonization of this population. As a response to this dominant narrative, this study sought to explore the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers. Through a heuristic methodology and with the theoretical underpinnings of Critical Pedagogy, Catholic Social Teaching, Liberation Theology, and Restorative Justice, I gathered data–the reflections, testimonies, and stories–from other volunteers who served as collaborators within this study. I identified four major themes that emerged from the data: (1) God within this context, (2) detention ministry as a classroom, (3) critiques of justice, and (4) solidarity to transformation. The conversations with my collaborators suggested that the experiences of volunteers ultimately shed insight into the lives of those impacted by incarceration as well as put a spotlight on their humanity. This study highlighted the need for rehumanization: transformation within the prison system calls for a shift in perspectives, an altering of attitudes, and a change of heart around the demonization of this vulnerable population.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tran, Christopher"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Scot Danforth","Lilia Monzo","James Kirylo","Fred La Puzza"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:37Z","subjects":["Incarceration","Catholic Ministry","Critical Pedagogy","Liberation Theology","Catholic Social Teaching","Restorative Justice","Prison Volunteer","Catholic Studies","Educational Methods","Practical Theology","Prison Education and Reentry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/71","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Scot Danforth","Lilia Monzo","James Kirylo","Fred La Puzza"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tran, Christopher"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Incarceration","Catholic Ministry","Critical Pedagogy","Liberation Theology","Catholic Social Teaching","Restorative Justice","Prison Volunteer","Catholic Studies","Educational Methods","Practical Theology","Prison Education and Reentry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/71"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["There exists a wide breadth of literature in regards to the harmful and dehumanizing impact of incarceration on human development and dignity. Through my years as a volunteer in detention ministry, I have witnessed firsthand these effects particularly on youths who have been incarcerated. My experiences have led me to wonder then, “Why does the prison system still exist to harm people despite the array of research condemning its practices?” Through this pondering, I critiqued the larger systems at play: the prison-industrial complex, the sociopolitical rhetoric of “tough on crime,” and the overall demonization of this population. As a response to this dominant narrative, this study sought to explore the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers. Through a heuristic methodology and with the theoretical underpinnings of Critical Pedagogy, Catholic Social Teaching, Liberation Theology, and Restorative Justice, I gathered data–the reflections, testimonies, and stories–from other volunteers who served as collaborators within this study. I identified four major themes that emerged from the data: (1) God within this context, (2) detention ministry as a classroom, (3) critiques of justice, and (4) solidarity to transformation. The conversations with my collaborators suggested that the experiences of volunteers ultimately shed insight into the lives of those impacted by incarceration as well as put a spotlight on their humanity. This study highlighted the need for rehumanization: transformation within the prison system calls for a shift in perspectives, an altering of attitudes, and a change of heart around the demonization of this vulnerable population.
"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Tran, C. B. A. (2024). Visit the imprisoned: A heuristic inquiry into the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000531"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Visit the Imprisoned: A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experiences of Catholic Detention Ministry Volunteers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Scot Danforth","Lilia Monzo","James Kirylo","Fred La Puzza"],"dc:creator":["Tran, Christopher"],"dc:description.abstract":["There exists a wide breadth of literature in regards to the harmful and dehumanizing impact of incarceration on human development and dignity. Through my years as a volunteer in detention ministry, I have witnessed firsthand these effects particularly on youths who have been incarcerated. My experiences have led me to wonder then, “Why does the prison system still exist to harm people despite the array of research condemning its practices?” Through this pondering, I critiqued the larger systems at play: the prison-industrial complex, the sociopolitical rhetoric of “tough on crime,” and the overall demonization of this population. As a response to this dominant narrative, this study sought to explore the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers. Through a heuristic methodology and with the theoretical underpinnings of Critical Pedagogy, Catholic Social Teaching, Liberation Theology, and Restorative Justice, I gathered data–the reflections, testimonies, and stories–from other volunteers who served as collaborators within this study. I identified four major themes that emerged from the data: (1) God within this context, (2) detention ministry as a classroom, (3) critiques of justice, and (4) solidarity to transformation. The conversations with my collaborators suggested that the experiences of volunteers ultimately shed insight into the lives of those impacted by incarceration as well as put a spotlight on their humanity. This study highlighted the need for rehumanization: transformation within the prison system calls for a shift in perspectives, an altering of attitudes, and a change of heart around the demonization of this vulnerable population.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/71"],"dc:source":["Tran, C. B. A. (2024). Visit the imprisoned: A heuristic inquiry into the experiences of Catholic detention ministry volunteers [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000531"],"dc:subject":["Incarceration","Catholic Ministry","Critical Pedagogy","Liberation Theology","Catholic Social Teaching","Restorative Justice","Prison Volunteer","Catholic Studies","Educational Methods","Practical Theology","Prison Education and Reentry"],"dc:title":["Visit the Imprisoned: A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experiences of Catholic Detention Ministry Volunteers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:37Z"}