The article examines the impact of the theological views of the American Protestant denominations representatives on the formation of theoretical and methodological foundations of the American prison systems. The U. S.A. is considered to be the «pioneers» in the realization of prison reforms in the nineteenth century. Actually it was in America that the first progressive penitentiary systems were arranged: Pennsylvanian and Auburn systems. The elements of American prison systems were later borrowed by European and Russian penal reformers.
Based on the population census and archival materials, the article examines the confessional diversity of the Saratov Volga region in the late 1920s – early 1940s. Orthodoxy prevailed in this territory, however, a characteristic feature of regional life has always been polyconfessionalism, due to historical and geopolitical factors. In the article, the author characterizes the confessional space of the Saratov Volga region and gives a quantitative ratio of various confessions.
