Abstract
M.A.
Every year in South Africa more than 600 000 individuals leave correctional facilities to return to the community (Visher and Travis 2003, p.89). In spite of a significant crime control problem in South Africa, there is very little public or government interest shown in what happens to ex-offenders once released from prison.
The focus of the study is on understanding the critical social factors that contribute towards effective offender rehabilitation and reintegration at various stages of the reintegration process after release from prison. The needs and experiences of those recently released (two to four months) are compared with those who have been released for up to one year (six to twelve months) and those who have been released for a longer period (three to four years).
The researcher identified that most research studies on post prison rehabilitation and reintegration have focused on the individual factors rather than on the social factors. Traditionally, offender rehabilitation and reintegration has been the responsibility of the Department of Correctional Services. More recently, the White Paper on Corrections and the new Community Justice Models (Maruna and Immarigeon, 2004, p.233) emphasize that offender reintegration is a collective process. Central to this approach is the importance of community engagement and informal social controls in promoting public safety.
This qualitative study was undertaken with twelve adult male Zulu-speaking African ex-offenders who had been released from Qalakabusha Correctional Centre in Empangeni (northern Kwa-Zulu Natal). The sampling strategy was non-random and purposive. The majority of participants interviewed had committed violent crimes, with the exception of two participants who had committed less serious offences. The majority of respondents were still serving parole, having been released early on the grounds of “good behaviour”. They had also participated in rehabilitation programmes provided by various service providers while in prison. Individual interviews using a semi-structured interview schedule were conducted with the respondents. A pilot study was conducted to test for the reliability and validity of the instrument. This was followed by a focus group. The focus group assisted in gaining more in-depth information, clarification and validation of shared experience. The information was processed during the data analysis phase of the research process. The information was then organized and compiled into the research report as presented.
Five major themes were identified namely the Impact of imprisonment, Preparation for release, Maintenance and upkeep, Social support systems and Staying out of crime. Three major protective social factors or key ingredients for successful reintegration identified in the study include family support, the ability to provide for oneself and family and opportunities to contribute positively in communities.