From incarceration to successful reintegration : an ethnographic study of the impact of a halfway house on recidivism amongst female ex-offenders

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis examines the psychological and social reasons for recidivismamong women offenders of the law and explores the impact halfway houses couldhave on reducing recidivism in SA.Despite the problem of high crime and offender recidivism in SA there is alack of research into projects within the country that are attempting to address thesituation. This paper ascribes to be an authentic voice from one who has had theunique opportunity of observing the SA prison system from within, over a period of15 years, and one who has sought to assist ex-offenders in their reintegration fromprison to society by providing support once outside of prison over the past 10 years.The thesis is auto-ethnographic in design and method. This research examinesthe reasons for criminal acts among women and seeks to investigate and determine theunique complexities surrounding women and crime. A high prevalence of sexual andphysical abuse is corroborated as common precursors to conduct problems in femaleoffenders, while mental ill health is found to be marked among women in prison.Recommendations are made for the establishment of halfway houses in SA andstrategies are suggested for the development of such halfway houses.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University