Magister Artium - MA / Recidivism, the tendency to revert to crime upon release from prison, seems to be an uncontrollable phenomenon as inmates keep on re-offending, which impacts negatively on the already overcrowded correctional centres in South Africa. Life in prison is harsh and overpopulation leads to numerous communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other sexuality transmitted infections. Offenders participate in various rehabilitation programmes during their incarceration. However, the challenge is to sustain these rehabilitation efforts after their discharge from prison. Offenders released into society face numerous obstacles such as the need for employment, food, shelter, and the stigma of having been imprisoned. The community is reluctant to receive perpetrators back into society after their release from prison. Consequently, ex-offenders struggle to find employment because of this stigma, which often translates into family break-ups. They are then expected to invent new ways of making a living and surviving without any help from society; in, they resort to crime, which in turn results in recidivism. The research comprises an exploratory study of the challenges that offenders face upon release and which contribute to recidivism in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The West Coast Medium ‘A’ Correctional Centre in the Western Cape has been selected as the case study area. Although offenders attend various rehabilitation programmes inside the prison, it has become apparent that upon their release this rehabilitation is not sustained. The qualitative methodology used for this research included semi-structured interviews in order to gather information on the challenges that contribute to recidivism. Offenders, parolees, family members, the Head of Social Reintegration, a social worker, a representative of NICRO, the Chairperson of the Atlantis Community Police Forum, and a spokesperson for SAPS Atlantis were interviewed in order to gather the relevant information. / South Africa

Cette thèse de doctorat étudie les liens entre prison, réinsertion et récidive. Chacun des quatre chapitres contribue au champ croissant de l’´economie du crime, en appliquant diverses méthodes économétriques sur des données françaises pour répondre à des questions essentielles pour les politiques publiques.Le Chapitre 1 explore la dynamique du risque de récidive après la sortie de prison. Cet article est le premier à documenter la forme du hasard de récidive dans le temps en France (une fonction rapidement décroissante) et `a explorer les déterminants individuels majeurs qui expliquent le niveau et la dynamique des risques dans le temps.Le Chapitre 2 étudie l’effet causal des réductions de peine sur la récidive. Cet article est le premier à tenir explicitement compte du rôle essentiel des anticipations et de l’adaptation des détenus. En exploitant la grâce collective française de Juillet 1996 comme une expérience naturelle, les résultats soutiennent l’importance du design concret des réductions de peine.Le Chapitre 3 propose la première évaluation des effets causaux d’une politique pénale majeure en France, l’introduction du Placement sous Surveillance Électronique (PSE) comme alternative aux courtes peines de prison fermes. En utilisant la mise en place progressive du PSE dans les tribunaux français, l’article trouve des effets significatifs bénéfiques du PSE sur la récidive, par rapport à l’incarcération.Enfin, le Chapitre 4 mesure l’effet dissuasif d’une incarcération plus ou moins rapide sur la délinquance future. Cet article est le premier à estimer les effets très bénéfiques de recourir à des procédures rapides pour prévenir la récidive après la libération. / This PhD dissertation investigates the linkages between prison, reentry and recidivism. Eachof the four chapters contributes to the growing field of the economics of crime, applying a series of econometric methods on French data to answer highly policy-relevant questions.Chapter 1 explores the dynamics of the risk of recidivism after prison release. This article is the first to document the shape of the hazard of recidivism over time in France (a fastlydiminishing function) and to explore the key individual characteristics explaining the level and dynamic of this risk over time.Chapter 2 investigates the causal effect of sentence reductions on recidivism. This article is the first to explicitely account for the key mediating role of anticipations and adaptation by prisoners. By exploiting the French collective pardon of July 1996 as a natural experiment, the article finds strong evidence supporting the importance of the concrete design of sentence reductions.Chapter 3 offers the first evaluation of the causal effects of a major penal policy in France, the introduction of Electronic Monitoring (EM) as an alternative to short prison sentences. Using the staged rollout of EM across courts and over time, the paper finds evidence of significant beneficial effects of EM on recidivism, compared to incarceration.Finally, Chapter 4 measures the deterrent effect of fast versus slower incarceration on future crime. This article is the first to estimate the large beneficial impact of using fast-track procedures, instead of longer procedures, on recidivism after release.

La prise en charge des Personnes Placées Sous Main de Justice (PPSMJ) et plus particulièrement des auteurs d’infraction à caractère sexuel suscitent des interrogations dès lors qu’il s’agit de questionner leur pertinence quant à la prévention de la récidive et la qualité de la réinsertion. Organisé autour d’une double composante, thérapeutique et pénitentiaire, l’accompagnement socio-pénal des PPSMJ tend aujourd’hui à s’inspirer de certaines pratiques étrangères. Centrées sur l’identification de facteurs de risque, de nouvelles approches voient le jour. Cette recherche doctorale vise à mettre en évidence les effets de pratiques de groupes de parole dans les champs thérapeutique (Groupe Thérapeutique Structuré) et pénitentiaire (Groupe de Parole de Prévention de la Récidive). L’hypothèse de ce travail suppose que le produit de la rencontre entre soin thérapeutique et accompagnement pénitentiaire favorise l’empowerment, c’est-à-dire l’autonomisation et la responsabilisation de la PPSMJ. En déconstruisant les objectifs et méthodes et en observant les effets des pratiques émergentes, il s’agit de repérer les évolutions de leurs participants quant à leur rapport à soi, à autrui, à la norme et à l’acte. Analysant distinctement puis conjointement les pratiques, la méthodologie employée décrit leur cohérence interne, leur différenciation et leur éventuelle complémentarité dans le cadre législatif instituant la prise en charge des PPSMJ. La mise en commun des effets de ces pratiques présume alors un lieu de visibilité des changements à l’œuvre lors du parcours socio-pénal. Cet espace, nous l’avons décrit comme un dispositif socio-sanitaire nécessaire à la PPSMJ pour s’inscrire pleinement dans son parcours pénal. / Offenders treatment, and particularly sexual offenders treatment, gives rise to debates when effects on recidivism and reintegration into society is questioned. Split into penitentiary and therapeutic practices, French probationary system takes model on foreign practices. Based on risk factors identification, some new approaches emerge. This research aims to show the effects of new therapeutic and penitentiary practices. Hypothesis is made that therapeutic and penitentiary programs, when both are applied, are favoring empowerment. Analyses of methods and goals, observation of practices, provide a vision of the offenders’ evolution concerning its relation to oneself, others, law and criminal behavior. First, effects practices are analyzed separately and, in a second time, their joint effects are described. Pooling the effects of new practices assume the identification of a specified place to accord to the offender the means to participate wholly into his sentence.

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Deported migrants in Jamaica face a plethora of integration and rehabilitation issues that have been exacerbated by the society’s negative perception of the population. Though previous research has highlighted the counterproductive implications of the negative attitudes (Headley, 2006), it is still evident in the Jamaican society. The current study examines the relationship between the migrant’s fear of crime and their well-being post-deportation. Therein, eight semi-structured interviews facilitated by the National Organisation of Deported Migrants were used to collect data over two weeks. A thematic analysis indicated that visibility impacted the extent to which deported migrants had a perceived risk of victimisation. The population's reduced mobility and lack of integration as a result of increased visibility and distrust of the wider society influenced their exhibition of isolating behaviours which were identified as incubators for physical and mental health effects, potential substance use disorders (SUD) and recidivism. Additionally, migrants residing in communities with reported criminal activities were identified to be at an increased risk of the adverse effects highlighted. The presence of several protective factors, including less time away from Jamaica and familial support mitigated these factors. The author highlights that social education, in addition to effective long-term reintegration and rehabilitation programs that focus on health are necessary implementations to reduce the risks associated with fear of crime and improve reintegration.

Criminological Aspects of Crime Recidivism The Diploma Thesis Bc. Petra Urbánková Abstract The main goal of the Diploma Thesis "Criminological Aspects of Crime Recidivism" is analysing recidivism, which is considered to be one of the most important criminal factors. We can analyse recidivism based on the criminal law, penology, criminal statistics and mainly criminology. The Criminological aspect is the widest one, because it focuses on the all crimes committed by the offender, not only those crimes which were investigated by Police or the prosecutors. We will also theoretically describe all statistic sources where the recidivism has been recorded, but mainly we will analyse practically the statistical data of The Prison Service of the Czech Republic and the data of the Police of the Czech Republic where we could find out the actual rate of recidivism in the Czech Republic. The data of the Prison Service contain mainly the offenders which are imprisoned repeatedly for more than once. The data of Police are focused on type of crimes which have the highest rate of recidivism and whose are committed repeatedly by the offenders. This thesis also tries to analyse recidivism based on the historical development of the Czech legislation on recidivism starting since 1918 till nowadays. This thesis also tries to...

Scholars and policymakers alike have recognized mass incarceration and criminal recidivism as two of the most profound challenges American society faces. For more than half a century, the United States has been the world’s most prominent incarcerator, boasting the highest incarceration rate and the third-highest recidivism rate, with analysts projecting that U.S. incarceration will grow exponentially in the near future. The U.S. has more instances of lethal crime than any of its developed peers. Violent crime makes up a more significant percentage of criminal activity than property, drug, and public order crimes combined. Thus, individual states’ social, judicial, and policing policies have a greater impact on U.S. incarceration rates than the actions or challenges faced by any of its federal entities. Both localized and national efforts to reduce incarceration and re-offense rates through literacy initiatives, education pipelines, harsher sentencing, and the development of reentry programs have rendered statistically insignificant results. Despite the resources afforded by the nation’s wealth; decades of scholarship and activism dedicated to exposing its inherent racial inequities; and its proven inability to act as a catalyst to social reform; the American carceral system remains a threat to the social welfare and economic health of the United States. This qualitative study provides an adult learning perspective on the process by which a sample of previously violent offenders arrived at criminal desistance despite a statistical likelihood of re-offense. The participants consisted of thirty individuals (males, ages 22 to 49) previously convicted of and self-identifying as having committed violent felonies in New York State after being previously incarcerated for other violent crimes. This research’s primary data collection method was semi-structured interviews. Supportive methods included a pre-interview survey and interview participants’ use of an illustrative timeline tool as an interview discussion aid. This research applies transformative learning and self-efficacy theories as a lens through which to examine four main points of inquiry as they occurred within participants’ recollection of their learning and desistance process: what experiences were fundamental to desistance; the role of self-perception and self-assessment in desistance; supports and hindrances to desistance; and supported recommendations for desistance education design. Analysis of the findings revealed an emergent and substantiated four-phase process of desistance: (1) success separate from desistance as leading to new identity; (2) new identity as a catalyst to reappraisal and revision of needs and perspectives; (3) excavation and re-evaluation of formative experiences; and (4) conscious navigation of somatic responses.

Undersökningen syftar till att öka kunskap och förståelse kring de medverkande faktorer som resulterar till upphörandet av en kriminell livsstil hos KRIS anställda. Vi har genomfört fem kvalitativa intervjuer med individer som är anställda hos KRIS för att få en djupare förståelse kring processen om att bryta med kriminalitet. Föreningen KRIS agerar som stöd till individer som söker frivillig vård för att upphöra ett avvikande beteende. Medlemmar inom KRIS har möjligheten till stödgrupper, terapibehandlingar, stödboenden, arbete, fritidsaktiviteter, utbildning och kamratskap. KRIS fungerar som ett skyddsnät med tillgång till ett ökat socialt nätverk för individer som vill ta sig ur kriminalitet.För att analysera forskningsempirin har vi använt oss av båda Erving Goffmans (2011) teori om stigma samt Helen Ebaughs (1988) teori om exitprocessen. Goffmans (2011) teori ökar medvetenhet om hur individen stämplas som ett stigma av omgivningen som ett resultat av sina avvikande handlingar. Ebaughs (1988) teori redogör för de processer som individen genomgår för att lämna en social roll och ersätta den med en annan social identitet. Dessa teorier möjliggör en sammanställning av de livserfarenheter som samtliga respondenter talar om i intervjuerna. Dessa teorier tillsammans med intervjuerna kommer att vara hjälpande för att förstå och analysera studiens syfte.Studiens resultat påvisar flera faktorer som bidrar till individens upphörande med kriminalitet. Resultatet indikerar att samtliga respondenter upplevde en särskild händelse i sina liv som orsakade känslor om att bryta med kriminalitet. Undersökningen visar dessutom att positiva reaktioner från familjemedlemmar och den sociala omgivningen har en bidragande effekt på respondenternas upphörande av kriminalitet. Bland andra faktorer, har KRIS-föreningen haft stor inflytande av respondenternas upphörande med kriminalitet, då KRIS motiverar och hjälper medlemmar att leva ett drogfritt och hederligt liv. / The study aims to increase knowledge and understanding of contributing factors that result in the cessation of a criminal lifestyle. We have carried out five qualitative interviews with individuals employed by KRIS to gain a deeper understanding regarding the process of breaking out of a criminal lifestyle. KRIS acts as a support system for individuals who seek voluntary care in terms of ending a deviant behavior. Members within KRIS have the opportunity for support groups, therapy treatments, supported housing, leisure activities, education, work, and friendship. KRIS works as a safety net with access to an increased social network for individuals who want to get out of crime.To analyze the research empirics, we have used both Erving Goffman's (2011) theory of stigma and Helen Ebaugh's (1988) theory of the exit process. Goffman's (2011) theory increases awareness of how the individual is stigmatized by the environment as a result of his deviant actions. Ebaugh's (1988) theory describes the processes that the individual goes through to leave a social role and replace it with another social identity. These theories enable a compilation of the life experiences that all respondents talk about in the interviews. These theories together with the interviews will clarify the study's aim.The results of the study demonstrate several factors that contribute to the individual's cessation of crime. The results indicate that all respondents experienced a special event in their lives that caused feelings of wanting to break with crime. The survey also shows that positive reactions from family members and the social environment have a contributing effect on the respondents' cessation of crime. Among other factors, the KRIS association has had a great influence on the respondents' cessation of crime, as KRIS motivates and helps members to live a drug-free and honest life.

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. The state aims to reduce the prevalence of crime mainly by sentencing offenders to imprisonment. In turn the goal of imprisonment is to rehabilitate offenders so that they can refrain from reoffending and be reintegrated into society. Unfortunately, due to various factors which exist inside and outside of prisons, rehabilitation and reintegration is difficult to achieve. The study unpacks the perennial question of whether or not the state has a legal duty to reintegrate offenders into society. This question looms particularly, during the post-release phase of offenders’ life. Preliminary indications are that the state currently views reintegration as a ‘societal responsibility.’ This study intends to determine whether or not the state has a legal duty to reintegrate offenders and provide them with support even after their release from imprisonment.