Variables Affecting Successful Reintegration as Perceived by Offenders and Professionals

Abstract

Six broad domains were identified as influencing reintegration of ex-offenders including personal conditions, social network/environment, accommodation, criminal justice system, rehabilitation and counselling support, and employment and training support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 offenders and 22 professionals from criminal justice, accommodation, employment support, and rehabilitation program sectors. Participants were asked to identify variables within each domain that affect success or failure of offenders in making a positive life transition. Identified variables included a readiness to change, achieving stable housing and obtaining employment, avoiding illegal activity and complying with mandatory reporting, remaining free of dependency, and addressing basic education and training needs. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@ haworthpress.com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>

Hoping Against Hope: The Prison-to-Community Transition Experience of Men With Co-Occurring Severe Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder

“…O'Brien's findings have been echoed in later studies and have potential relevance to people with a mental illness leaving prison (Davis et al, 2013;Graffam et al, 2005;McHugh, 2013;Shinkfield & Graffam, 2009;Trotter, McIvor, & Sheehan, 2012).…”

“…There are a small number of studies in Australia examining factors relevant to the transition of the general custodial population, discussed in Chapter 3 (Baldry & Maplestone, 2003;Baldry, 2010;Borzycki, 2005;Borzycki & Baldry, 2003;Graffam, Shinkfield, Lavelle, & McPherson, 2005;Kinner, 2006;Shinkfield & Graffam, 2009;Walsh, 2004). However, there are no known published studies in the Australian setting looking specifically at the transition experience of men with mental illness leaving custody.…”

“…A Queensland-based study comparing 61 men with a psychotic disorder incarcerated on remand, with 123 men with psychosis from the surrounding community with no criminal justice involvement, found that that the offender group reported more childhood abuse, increased history of self-harm, fewer educational qualifications, significantly greater levels of substance dependence, as well as higher levels of homelessness in the previous year (White, Chant, & Whiteford, 2006). Social issues such as low education levels, unemployment and lack of stable housing have been widely reported in ex-prisoners (Borzycki, 2005;Graffam et al, 2005;Petersilia, 2003;Shinkfield & Graffam, 2009). There is very little detailed knowledge, however, of the health and wellbeing of prisoners post-release in Australia.…”

“…They asserted that "securing employment, resolving conflict with family members, maintaining sobriety, joining a community organisation … are all indicators of successful attachment to the institutions of civil society", potentially leading to reduced offending (p. 107). Later work built on these ideas and the attention began to shift in prison-to-community transition research to social, economic and support domains (Baldry et al, 2006;Graffam et al, 2005), to health as the central focus (Binswanger et al, 2011;Kinner, 2006;Kinner, Burford et al, 2013;Levy, 2005), to the relevance of social capital (Mills & Codd, 2008;Taylor, 2013;Wolff & Draine, 2004), and to the interaction between the individual and the environment (Farrall & Bowling, 1999;Farrall, Sharpe, Hunter, & Calverley, 2011).…”

“…An important body of work began to emerge in Australia midway through the decade that contributed to the international literature by emphasising social, economic and support domains as potentially influential in the transition process (Graffam et al, 2005). These researchers developed a framework of six domains related to transition and community reintegration.…”