Challenges Facing Young Men Returning from Incarceration in Hong Kong

Abstract

While prisoner re‐entry has garnered increasing interest in Western scholarship, scarce attention has been paid to the situation in Hong Kong, despite it possessing one of the higher imprisonment rates in Asia, and its reliance on custodial sentences to rehabilitate young offenders. Drawing upon the experiences of a sample of formerly‐incarcerated young males, this article informs on how young ex‐prisoners receive little familial/social support, and how finding legitimate employment is difficult for returning ex‐prisoners in Hong Kong. Young ex‐prisoners perceive themselves to be facing the challenges of re‐entry alone. Implications and recommendations for government and social services are discussed.

Incarceration and Family Stress as Understood through the Family Process Theory: Evidence from Hong Kong

“…A qualitative approach was employed to facilitate a conversational space for individual ex-inmates to talk about their unique experiences of fatherhood and felt family stress during and after imprisonment. Based on the author’s experience with this unique group of participants ( Chui, 1999 , 2003 , 2016 ; Adorjan and Chui, 2012 , 2014 ; Chui and Cheng, 2013 , 2014 ), a semi-structured interview protocol was followed, involving a set of open-ended questions and guiding questions, to tease out and explore further the narratives with regard to the felt family stress, coping strategies, and the negotiations involved in preserving or transforming their fatherhood identity. Given the sensitivity and complexity of the issues discussed, I took appropriate measures to facilitate an open conversational space where they felt safe and comfortable to disclose their innermost thoughts, feelings and reflections.…”

The sociological landscape of youth confinement

“…It is clear that incarceration doesn't "work" to change the lives of young people by changing their behavior or improving the conditions of their lives (Gatti et al, 2009;Lambie & Randell, 2013). Young people face enormous challenges when they leave confinement in their efforts to desist from offending which are often shaped by their social and political place as "citizens in waiting" (Abrams & Terry, 2017;Chui & Cheng, 2014;Halsey, 2008;Panuccio et al, 2012;Soyer, 2016). While a number of researchers have focused on the efficacy of behavioral change programs and the vocational and educational programs that are executed behind bars (Bogestad et al, 2010;Lipsey & Wilson, 1998), we know less about the social, political, and spatial contours of confinement for young people.…”