What It's Like to Be an Atheist in Prison When Only God Forgives
By Hussein Kesvani
September 4, 2016
This article originally appeared on VICE UK
Prison might be a grim place, but it's a holy one too. We've all heard the stories: hardened criminal commits heinous act, gets locked up for decades, and, after spending his first few years brawling and taking drugs, meets another inmate who quotes just the right bible passage so that our guy ends up finding God.
There's some truth to the narrative, too. While the UK as a whole is becoming less religious, there's been a significant increase in the number of religious people currently held in the UK's prison system. More than 42,000 Christians live behind bars, up from around 40,000 in 2004, while the number of Muslims has nearly doubled from 6,571 to just over 12,000. As a result, many prisons have adapted to help inmates on their journeys with God, providing prayer rooms, more access to chaplains, and facilitating special dietary requirements.
Which is all well and good, unless you're an atheist. No one quite knows how many prisoners could be classified as such, in part because the question isn't asked specifically, but over 25,000 prisoners were recorded to "not have a religion" in 2014.
I meet Alan (whose identity I've concealed as per his solicitor's request) in central London. Last year, he finished his eight-and-a-half-year sentence for robbery and assault, and during his incarceration moved between various prisons across the country. Having grown up in a semi-devout Catholic family, Alan's now a committed atheist. Several times in our conversation he refers to religion—all religion—as "total fucking bollocks." It's a bit awkward when I tell him I'm a Muslim, but he laughs it off, saying he hopes one day I'll "wake up and see some sense."
http://www.vice.com/read/atheist-in-british-prisons-hussein-kesvani
