Going home to the gangsters: a preliminary study on the potential link between reintegration support and recidivism amongst female offenders

Going home to the gangsters: a preliminary study on the potential link between reintegration support and recidivism amongst female offenders Jessica Leigh Thornton Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.- As the subject of female criminology in South Africa has only recently been dealt with in a qualitative manner, this paper aims to explore if there is a potential link between rehabilitation, reintegration support and recidivism as females are often placed back into the environment which prompted their criminal behaviour, further excluding them from rehabilitative reform, which might lead them to recidivate.The research adopted a qualitative approach using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six participants that were chosen purposively.The paper notes a potential link between rehabilitation, reintegration support and recidivism as the female prisoners are imprinted with criminal dispositions since rehabilitation within the correctional facility has no implementation process to ensure that restoration can continue after they have been released.Due to the limited number of the incarcerated female population and the scope of the preliminary study, the sample comprised of only six female offenders. As such, it contributes to the larger discourse of female criminality, but does not offer any recommendations.Provides an understanding of the conditions in which the females are released. Allows for the inclusion of...
Source: Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice - Category: Criminology Authors: Source Type: research