"Transformation is at the heart of OITNB. There are both positive and negative transformations. Many of the women confront issues that existed before their imprisonment as well as those that have become apparent since walking into prison." (Cecil, 2015) Since Orange is The New Black presents how religion can both produce and resolve inner turmoil, the unbiased position held allows for an audience with diverse ideologies.
Black Cindy
Cindy Hayes is initially introduced as an overall care-free spirit, who kindles many of the comedic moments within the series. In season 3, the kitchen's menu was replaced by a cost-effective meal plan implemented by the warden. As a result, inmates like Cindy opted for the more desirable Kosher meals offered for the Jewish women, over the new cheaper Litchfield specialty: slop. The staff quickly caught on when a third of the prison population suddenly began identifying as Jewish. To combat this issue, a Rabbi is hired to determine which of these women are truly Jewish. In order to keep her beloved kosher meals, she began to study Judaism with hopes to convince the Rabbi she is Jewish. However, during her research, Cindy finds herself genuinely drawn to Jewish teachings, thus sparking the beginning of her conversion to Judaism.
It is here that we are given a peek inside Cindy's childhood and learn that she comes from a strict Christian upbringing, "Cindy’s father was presented as an angry, hateful man who screamed scripture over the dinner table — it was clear that Cindy’s Christianity was one that centered on fear." (Cipriani)
Given this insight, we are better equipped to understand the significance that discovering this new faith holds to Cindy and that the comfort and guidance it provides her.
When considering the role of religion in real-life prisons, Cindy's story falls directly in line with the life course/spiritual transformation theory discussed by Benjamin Meade in which religion has "been assumed from the beginning of prisons to be one of the ways for offenders to redirect their lives."
This is a perfect example as to how religion may positively impact an inmate's life while incarcerated, by helping her adapt to the living conditions she is provided, but ultimately helping her find comfort in a new religious practice that is different from her old invalidating religious environment.
Leanne Taylor
At the beginning of the series, Leanne (Emma Myles) was bundled with the hateful group of white meth addicts associated with the first season's antagonist, Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett (Taryn Manning). However, we later learn that there is much more to her beneath the surface. Leanne comes from a rural Amish community where adolescents are given the opportunity to experiment with non-traditional Amish lifestyle, before devoting themselves to their faith (commenced by Baptism at their choosing).
During her time away from her community, Leanne was discovered to be involved with what was called a "Rumspringa cartel" by police, after they found her hidden book bag containing drugs. Although she had already returned home and committed herself to God, she was still shunned by her community for committing acts against Him (as well as ratting out other Rumspringa folk that were involved to avoid jail time). Being excluded from her people, Leanne felt no choice but to leave the isolated community, and did so until her drug addiction landed her in Litchfield.
Leanne's story exhibits how religion may be an influencing factor of delinquent behaviour if we consider Sampson and Laub's "Social Control Theory" where the "social bonds are the mechanisms that promote conformity." (Meade) Having being denied by her religious community, and assuming her drug use as a form of "deviant coping", religion may be considered a "conditioning factor."
