Teaching Religion Behind Bars: exploring academic freedom in a place that is not free

Drawing from four semesters teaching religious studies inside two Florida-state prisons, this paper explores academic freedom within prison and the role that religious studies can play within the carcel system. By investigating the intersection of religion and freedom of thought in such restricted spaces, I ask: can knowledge set us free? Those who teach in (Dubler, 2014; Gellman, 2022) and write about these spaces (Erzan, 2017; Sullivan, 2009; Stoddard, 2021) recognize the challenges of working in a constrained world—one with misconceptions and limited resources for teachers and students. However, when engaged appropriately, knowledge can expose new narratives thereby opening new worlds, possibilities, and opportunities for those who pursue it. Religion, both in a personal sense and as an academic framework, may offer freedom for students behind bars.