Theses (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains v, 52 pages. Bibliography: p.46-52.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-117).

The present study examines the influence of social bonds on recidivism for a random sample of 250 male offenders released from Texas prisons since 2001. Social bonds are defined as the offender being employed, being married, or seeking educational pursuits. Based on life-course theory, developed by Sampson and Laub (1990), the researcher hypothesized that offenders released from prison who developed attachments (social bonds) would have less likelihood of recidivating than offenders who did not develop attachments (social bonds). Additionally, the researcher hypothesized that recidivists who developed attachments (social bonds) would have longer periods crimefree before re-incarceration than recidivists who lacked attachments (social bonds). The researcher used hierarchical binary logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard modeling to test the hypotheses. Although social bonds did not decrease the likelihood of re-incarceration, Cox proportional hazard modeling found that recidivists who obtained employment upon release from prison had longer periods before recidivating than those who did not obtain employment. The results indicate that employment may temporarily motivate offenders released from prison to avoid re-incarceration, but the affects appear to diminish over time. Social workers providing services to offenders released from prison should be aware that the influence of employment on desistance from crime might weaken over time, so they should continuously measure their clients' motivation levels regarding the desire to avoid re-incarceration.

This paper starts where previous research in this scientific field, research about individuals who managed to end their criminal lifestyle, ends – by talking in terms of Pierre Bourdieu’s forms of capital. In former studies the researchers pointed out access to a job and parenting as helpful factors to end a criminal lifestyle. Our purpose with this paper, however, was to find out if it is possible to understand criminals successfully ending their criminal lifestyle from Bourdieu’s capital metaphors and Mark Granovetter’s concept of strong and weak ties. The empirical data consists of interviews with a life story perspective by eight members of an organization called KRIS (Criminals Return Into Society). All the interviewees included in this study have managed to end their respective criminal lifestyle. The results indicate that our interviewees had help in their ending of the criminal lifestyle by access to or by establishing social capital. The social capital in the interviewees’ cases were constituted by on one hand strong ties, on the other hand weak ties. In a couple of cases both types of ties were involved. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the social capital itself cannot make an ending of the criminal lifestyle possible. The following factors in the individual’s life has to be fulfilled in order to end his or hers criminal lifestyle: (1) exhort a strong motive inside him-/herself, (2) accept no drug use of any kind and (3) carry through a switch of field from the criminal society to the conventional.

The effectiveness of programs intended to rehabilitate criminal offenders has been widely debated during the last decade. This thesis represents an attempt to evaluate the effects of education and training programs in particular, insofar as these effects have been measured in terms of recidivism.

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a group of 88 subjects, who were sentenced to the Forest Camp in the early seventies, remained law abiding in the ten years which followed their release. In addition to analyzing recidivist patterns, the study attempted to identify which variables were associated with subsequent recidivist and non-recidivist behavior and relate those findings to previous studies in the literature.

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University of Macau / Faculty of Law

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / Correctional Service inmate rehabilitation and rising issues of recidivism have been of interest within the Justice System with the mind to improve and ensure not only functionality but the effectiveness of every effort put toward rehabilitating inmates. Individuals are not convicted with the intention of closing them off from society completely, but to have their abnormal behavior corrected (this speaks to effective rehabilitation programmes and successful re-entry). Inevitably, this makes the parole period pivotal for assessing these programmes and why rehabilitation is not directly resulting in successful re-entry since parolees are more at risk to reoffend, making up the rising margin of recidivism of over 70% in South Africa. It then becomes significant to look into whether rehabilitative programmes are effective according to individuals who have practically been on the receiving end. This study investigated the lived experiences that recidivist parolees had of rehabilitation by taking a closer look at their lived experiences. This was qualitatively realized by employing to the study: interpretive phenomenological design. From a population of recidivist parolees residing in Vhembe District, after agreeing to participate in the study, a sample of 10 participants was interviewed (in accordance to data saturation) which were attained through the snowball sampling technique. From this sample, data was collected through the use of semi-structured open-ended interviews and analyzed through interpretive phenomenological analysis. This process yielded the following results. Generally, participants felt that rehabilitation programmes are not effective and play a very small role in influencing change. This is a similar case with re-entry into society. In light of this, participants reported that they have difficulty fitting into society as normal members because of social stigma, chronic trauma, not getting enough support after release and not being eligible for employment. Participants also reported irregular administration and accessibility of the programmes for all inmates. In light of these results, rehabilitation should be compulsory for all inmates and should also include post arrest programmes. / NRF