University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The work of Charles Edward Atkins, Jr. focuses on religious practice in incarcerated communities. Charles has worked, over the last 20 years as a full-time Prison Chaplain in N.J. where he has developed and maintained programs that teach incarcerated youth and young adults certain methods for creating spaces of hospitality within hostile environments. His research has focused on those elements that are necessary to make religious practices effectively lead a person to spiritual renewal of consciousness while incarcerated. He has also helped community and educational groups who are interested in preparing the incarcerated for re-entry into society through the creation of enrichment programs that help prepare communities to receive returning citizens.