NCJ Number
68447
Date Published
1978
Length
164 pages
Annotation
GUIDELINES FOR PROVIDING RESOCIALIZATION ASSISTANCE TO CONVICTED OFFENDERS DURING AND AFTER IMPRISONMENT ARE PRESENTED FOR USE BY WEST GERMAN SOCIAL WORKERS.
Abstract
PRACTICAL AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE TO PRISONERS REENTERING SOCIETY IS VIEWED AS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PREVENTING RECIDIVISM; THE VALUE OF RESIDENTIAL GROUPS FOR REINTEGRATION IS EMPHASIZED. EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATE THE CRIMINALIZING AND STIGMATIZING EFFECTS - ON OFFENDERS FIRST, OF UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENTS AND THEN, OF IMPRISONMENT. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS ATTRIBUTED TO DESOCIALIZATION AND AN UNDERDEVELOPED SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY OR TO LACKING RECOGNITION OF SOCIETY'S RULES. POLICE, THE COURTS, AND THE JUVENILE OFFICE HAVE A NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF DELINQUENTS AND TREAT THEM ACCORDINGLY. IMPRISONMENT IS CHARACTERIZED BY ISOLATION, MONOTONY, EXAGGERATED DISCIPLINE, UNCHALLENGING WORK, A LACK OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES, A SHORTAGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION OPTIONS, AND INSUFFICIENT PREPARATION FOR RELEASE. AS EXAMPLES SHOW, FINDING LIVING ACCOMODATIONS, WORK, FINANCIAL MEANS, AND FUNDS TO PAY OFF DEBTS IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR EX-OFFENDERS; CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCH GROUPS ARE PRACTICALLY THE ONLY SOURCES OF RELIABLE AID, ALTHOUGH CERTAIN FEDERAL AGENCIES, WHICH ARE LISTED, PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT. AS NEGATIVE ATTITUDES OF THE GENERAL POPULATION BEAR DIRECTLY ON RECIDIVISM, AID TO EX-CONVICTS BY PRIVATE CITIZENS IS DESIRABLE. THE RESIDENTIAL GROUP IS ADVOCATED AS A MEANS OF RESOCIALIZATION BECAUSE IT PROVIDES RELEASEES WITH SUPPORT IN FACING THE UNACCUSTOMED EVERYDAY PROBLEMS OF THE REAL WORLD AND WITH CONTACTS TO VARIOUS SOCIAL GROUPS. MODEL RESOCIALIZATION PROGRAMS ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL ARE DESCRIBED: THE HENRI VAN DER HOEVEN CLINIC IN UTRECHT (HOLLAND), THE FORVARINGSANSTALT IN HERSTEDVESTER IN HELLERUP (DENMARK), AND THE SAXERRIET PRISON IN SALEZ (SWITZERLAND). A LIST OF TIPS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS ENGAGED IN PRISONER ASSISTANCE, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, TABLES, AND APPENDIXES CONTAINING ADDRESSES OF RESOCIALIZATION GROUPS AND SAMPLE LETTERS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF PRISONERS ARE FURNISHED. --IN GERMAN.