NCJ Number
88786
Journal
Bewaehrungshilfe Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: (1981) Pages: 135-146
Date Published
1981
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A workshop of West German probation officers defined the program model, subsequently implemented in Cologne, for ex-offender reintegration assistance through debt consolidation financed by private local associations founded in support of the probation service.
Abstract
Since many released offenders are overwhelmed by financial demands for debts incurred prior to incarceration, this circumstance is seen as a serious obstacle to their resocialization. Debt consolidation through low-interest refinancing loans from private foundations is a service needed to enhance ex-offender ability to manage their circumstances without recidivating. Details of such a program are outlined in terms of the probation officer role as intermediary among clients, disparate creditors, and the financing institution along with questions of client eligibility, repayment planning, loan security, and loan processing. Sample forms and agreements from the Cologne program are supplied.