"I have found the flying spaghetti monster"

No it shouldn't be a "get out of jail free" card. It doesn't change the fact that you broke the law and the law doesn't/shouldn't give a damn if you've found god.

As far as telling the difference between whether or not someone actually believes, I couldn't care less. I don't care if they guy who claims to have been raped anally by aliens really believes it so why should I care if someone actually believes in a god?

If they have really converted they should have their sentence lengthened.

A photograph with God, Bigfoot, and a unicorn together.

I know it is anecdotal, however, 99% of prisoners believe in some god. Thus, I would say: If you are a god believer, there is a better chance you will commit more crime.

Bind them and toss them into a lake. If they float, thou is a real covert. If they sink and drown, thou was not a real convert.

For preachers like Jimmy Swaggart who gets caught in an affair with a prostitute, or Jim Bakker who is arrested for mail fraud, or Ted haggard who frequented a male prostitute. All they have to do is appear before their congregations with fake tears in their eyes and claim that the devil got his hooks in them, and beg forgiveness. The prayers and dollars come pouring in like rain.

Holy crap I'm going to hell

I would think that it is an automatic statement of guilt

My last boyfriend prided himself on being a pagan until he was arrested for child porn. Then, all of a sudden, he was an upstanding Christian. He still got six years prison.

My third husband converted to Mormonism because they gave him money.

(For me), when I hear someone say they've been "born again", my first thought is what is it they're wanting. But that's just me.

"I was bad but now I'm good! I promise. Until I'm bad again."
Since both bad and good are relative, the whole idea is nonsense.
"I have put some genuine thought into what I did and now I am truly remorseful." That is on me. What I can't insist upon is how others respond to my remorse. They may or may not forgive me. They may or may not want to have anything to do with me. Their treatment of me will likely be based on my past actions.
If "get out of jail" is figurative, then I would hope someone might give me a chance based on my current understanding of my previous wrong doing.
If it is literal, I would understand that the consequences for my actions were set and I must serve my penance. That I come out the other end a better person was kind of the point in the first place.
If it refers to my relationship with the magical sky pixie, by the rules, it does mean that I get to go to the bocci field in the sky.
But I think the human ego gets in the way of reality. Many who have "found god" have really just memorized some magic words they think will fool the sky fairies, because, frankly, they think the sky fairies and humans are equally stupid.
If there really were such a thing as heaven and hell, I'd bet a LOT of folks would be rudely surprised at their final destination.

If they have truly found "god" then they will be willing to do their time as they would know the benefits of penitence, showing remorse and making amends for the ills they have done. If they feel they should not be jailed then they do not believe and should be jailed. Quite simple really jail if that is what the law says is the punishment for their crime.

" The devil made me do it"
Another irresponsible excuse

Obviously try and get them to kill their first born on an altar to said god and then just as they’re about to plunge the knife say, it’s ok, just testing

Bullshit is bullshit.

This one:

There is no such thing as a genuine conversion there are those who proclaim a conversion who are deluding themselves and those who proclaim a conversion with the intent of deluding others.

If they really think that they have found god, then they believe that they will be rewarded by god with less time in purgatory, or what ever silliness they subscribe to. Therefore they have got their reward for converting, there is no need for earthly law to give them a second one.

So believers have their sentence shortened ? In the case of Muslim fundamentalists I think the sentence should be lengthened

uh, NO

Not understanding WHY Jeffery Dhammer, kidnapped, zombified into sex slaves, killed and ate 17 people does not make it ok that he did that does it?
To me something was quite broken in that human, right?

Yet Jeffery was a Born Again Christian before he died, forgiven and washed clean in the blood of the lamb. However the 17 victims never got that chance for redemption from the very same God, cause ole Jeff ate them.
Which would make them getting kidnapped, zombified into sex slaves, killed and eaten, all part of God's plan too, so he could save Jeff.

We can EASILY see that as WRONG, morally wrong, ethically wrong, but if you try and say "it's God's Mercy" they you are disavowing the lack of Mercy for the victims, who went through hell form ole Jeff and then get to go to hell itself.
Which would make that God evil.

No, I wouldn’t. If a person could not distinguish right from wrong prior to their prison sentence, claiming they’ve ‘found a god’ is not proof of growth. If anything, it’s confirmation they’re still lost.

If it were up to me, which unfortunately it isn't, claiming "conversion" or "finding jesus", wouldn't earn anyone a pass for anything.
It wouldn't matter if it's genuine or false.

There is nothing which would "confirm authenticity".
The individual claiming belief is either straight-up lying, or they've completely
descended into mental illness.
Either way, whatever they're trying to achieve should be rejected outright.

Slap them in the face, if they turn the other cheek; they truly believe in the teachings of Jesus.

I would demand objective evidence that I could test that a god was real.

I don't think it should mean the same, though i am sure that the religious use it that way.