Islamic Religious Education as Part of the Rehabilitation Process for Children in Conflict with the Law: A Case Study in Indonesia

The fulfillment of the right to religious education for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) is an essential dimension of juvenile rehabilitation. However, the rehabilitative contribution of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) cannot be inferred from the mere presence of religious activities. This qualitative single-case study examines how IRE contributes to an emergent rehabilitative configuration at LPKA Class II Yogyakarta. Data were generated through participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, self-assessments, and document analysis involving institutional leaders and officers, educators, a religious counselor, CICL guardians, parents, 10 current CICL participants, and 3 former residents. Data analysis involved iterative data condensation, display, coding, category development, thematic synthesis, and conclusion verification. The findings reveal that IRE has not been formally institutionalized as a distinct rehabilitation system. Nevertheless, its contribution is reflected in four interrelated dimensions: rehabilitative foundations; formal and non-formal educational experiences; pedagogical-reflective mechanisms grounded in mentoring, participation, non-stigmatizing relationships, and prosocial roles; and a continuum from institutional participation to reflective appropriation and negotiated post-release continuity. IRE therefore functions as one contributor within a broader rehabilitation ecology, shifting analysis from curriculum-centered intervention toward a relational, institutional, and temporal process.