Homecomer: Reconstruction of relations in families of former prisoners

The article focuses on the family relations of people sentenced to imprisonment. The aim of the project is to study the relations between former prisoners and their family members, particularly to define various strategies of rebuilding family relations, applied by former prisoners in the process of social adaptation. Based on the reconstruction of biographies of adult people who experienced the imprisonment of a parent during their childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, the author characterised various strategies of rebuilding relations, as well as difficulties and setbacks connected with breaking and losing the bond. The study made use of qualitative strategies of sociological analyses (biographical method). 31 narrative interviews with people who experienced penitentiary isolation of their parent (adult children of prisoners, aged between 18 and 70) were conducted as part of the study.

PENCABUTAN HAK POLITIK TERPIDANA KORUPSI DALAM PERSPEKTIF SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

This research aim is to provide a theoretical basis to permanently remove the political rights of a former prisoners of corruption as an alternative to achieve the purpose of criminal law. This normative research uses conceptual, statute and philosophical approach method. This research result indicate that based on the social contract theory, corruption is a criminal act which has injured the volonte generale and in this regard, a new concept is offered. The new concept is permanent revocation of political rights for a former coruption convicts that in line with peines infarmantes principle but does not apply automatically and must go through a court decision and be apllied for life (restitutio in integrum).

Social perceptions of convicts about the attitude of society towards ever imprisoned persons

The article analyzes the content of the social perception of convicts about the attitude of society towards ever imprisoned persons. It is noted that the very fact of a conviction often causes a wary attitude of people towards former convicts, which significantly complicates the process of their adaptation to life in freedom. The negative assessment of the personality and behavior of criminals which still persists in public opinion even after they have served their sentence and this contributes to the fact that convicts feel themselves as a group being subjected to stigmatization. An empirical study tested the hypothesis that in convicted persons’ view, who have served their sentences in places of deprivation of liberty, are still criminals in public opinion who constitute a menace even after their release. The assessment of society position about people with conviction by convicts is associated with the experience of those who were in places of liberty deprivation. Repeatedly convicted persons as compared with those who were convicted for the first time are surer in negative and biased treatment of former prisoners. To study the content of social perceptions a mixed research strategy was used. It consists in integrating of methods for collecting and analyzing data of qualitative and quantitative strategies. The study used specially designed interview plan and rating scale constructed on the basis of the data obtained with its help. The research sample includes groups of convicts formed depending on the number of sentences served. The results of the research allow us to conclude that in convicts’ perception there is a negative society attitude towards former prisoners which manifests itself in social distance from them in various spheres of social interaction. Persons who have previously served their sentences in places of deprivation of liberty, unlike those convicted for the first time, demonstrate greater confidence in the discriminatory nature of society’s attitude towards their group.

Prisoners

This chapter provides a public health analysis of imprisonment (the loss of personal freedom for short or long periods—including life sentences): the individual and population effects upon morbidity and mortality including suicide and homicide, drug addiction, and mental health. These effects impact the life course of former prisoners and their families, employment, and life expectancy, and have intergenerational impacts upon the children of incarcerated parents. While international data are presented for comparison of the magnitude and characteristics of imprisonment worldwide, this chapter examines the United States most closely. America is an atypical but instructive case study: the nation with the world’s largest number of prisoners and highest rate of imprisonment. Mass incarceration is not seen in other developed democratic nations but the case of America represents an important natural experiment, demonstrating precisely how high rates of imprisonment can become socially ‘toxic’, with damaging consequences for population health, societal well-being, and human rights.

“Prison didn’t change me, I have changed”: Narratives of change, self, and prison time

Drawing on interview data with over 50 male former prisoners in Ontario, Canada, we examine male ex-prisoners’ narratives of change within prison settings. Specifically, we focus on how ex-prisoners talk about change to self and their persona, as they reflect back on both their pre-prison selves and the ways they believe prison changed them. We find that these ex-prisoners described prison as a time where they developed a more general sense of positive change. Ex-prisoners described how prison living made them “calmer,” “stronger,” and more “patient” overall. These descriptions stand in tension with the overall hostility of prison environments where prisoners are forced to focus on survival and basic well-being as they navigate the risks and threats of prison living. Overall, in this article, we seek to contribute to emerging discussions on positivity within prison settings, acknowledging that studying the more positive impacts of prison is a delicate yet important endeavor necessary to help better understand the experiential complexities of punishment.

PREDICTING THE RISK OF AGGRESSIVE RECIDIVISM A CRIMINOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Aggressive delinquency is recognized as a one of the most serious threats for the society. Although criminal violence is often considered in the fi eld of criminology, the issues of recurrence of criminal violence are less often undertaken. The article focuses on that important area of interest in criminology, including risk assessment for recurrence of criminal violence in particular. Changes in the penal policy as well as the main assumptions of risk assessment approach were characterised from dual perspective – criminology and forensic psychology. Moreover, the risk factors and protective factors model, diagnostic methods and current directions for predicting violent recidivism were discussed. Besides, threat of criminal aggression was revealed at a broad, social context, including the problem of the “dark number of crimes”. Limitations connected with measuring extent of recurrent aggressive delinquency were also discussed. At the end of the review, authors presented theoretical model included key factors infl uencing at the general level of criminal violence treat. This model consists of four categories: 1) institutions and the legal rules, 2) professional risk assessment, 3) effectiveness of former prisoners adaptation in society, 4) social perception and social attitudes toward risk of harm caused by aggressive crime. Presented article might be useful in discussion around the issue of effective criminal violence prevention.

Strain During Reentry: A Test of General Strain Theory Using a Sample of Adult Former Prisoners

The majority of reentry studies focus on identifying different dimensions of reentry needs among released prisoners. Less explored is the mechanism by which unfulfilled reentry needs cause reentry failure. Applying the general strain theoretical perspective, this study aims to use an emotional and psychological prism to explain why released prisoners are likely to experience reentry failure when their reentry needs are not met. Findings demonstrate that the strains from financial difficulty and family neglect are positively associated with post-release criminal propensity, and depression noticeably mediated the effects of strains. Implications for correctional policymaking and future research are discussed.