Chui Wing Hong, Cheng Kevin Kwok-yin
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR.
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2013 Feb;57(2):154-68. doi: 10.1177/0306624X11432128. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
Although there have been a handful of studies examining the work of chaplains and prison volunteers in a Western setting, few have endeavored to conduct research into the experiences of religious workers in Asian penitentiaries. To fill this gap, this article reports on exploratory research examining the work of a selected group of religious workers in Hong Kong prisons. A total of 17 religious workers were interviewed: 10 prison chaplains and 7 Buddhist volunteers who paid regular prison visits. Qualitative findings generated from in-depth interviews present three themes: the range of religious activities performed, the importance of religion for the rehabilitation of inmates, and the hope of continued religious support to prisoners after discharge. The significance of this research is that it sheds light on the understudied work of prison chaplains and volunteers in Hong Kong and portrays the difference between the works of the Christian ministry and Buddhist volunteers.
尽管已有一些研究探讨了西方背景下牧师和监狱志愿者的工作，但很少有人致力于研究亚洲监狱中宗教工作者的经历。为填补这一空白，本文报告了一项探索性研究，该研究考察了香港监狱中一组选定的宗教工作者的工作。总共采访了17名宗教工作者：10名监狱牧师和7名定期探访监狱的佛教志愿者。深入访谈产生的定性研究结果呈现出三个主题：所开展的宗教活动范围、宗教对囚犯改造的重要性，以及囚犯获释后持续获得宗教支持的希望。这项研究的意义在于，它揭示了香港监狱牧师和志愿者这一研究较少的工作，并描绘了基督教事工与佛教志愿者工作之间的差异。
