Reasons for Reintegration

In 2020, 53,523 prisoners were released from custody in England and Wales. However, many often return back with nearly one in four adults reoffending (24.3%) and more than half reoffending within a year of release (53.9%). The question then arises of why that is. Why are prisoners not able to successfully reintegrate back into society? Why are they not able to break away from the cycle of crime? 

The purpose of imprisonment is to protect the public against crime and to reduce recidivisim. However, the agenda of reintegrating prisoners must be placed at a higher importance as a crime prevention method within criminal justice if the aim is to reduce recidivism. Imprisonment should not be restricted to imprisonment, but should work towards increasing opportunities for the offender to ensure they are able to successfully reintegrate into society and break away from the vicious cycle of crime. 

For many, imprisonment causes them to lose familial connections, their jobs, and may even be financially impacted. These factors can further impact them in other aspects. Reintegration is extremely difficult for prisoners due to the multitude of challenges they face. The challenges that prevent prisoners from successfully reintegrating include:

8. Ever-Changing Society 

Integrating back into modern society is not as easy as it seems. Modern society is constantly changing and evolving, and for those who have been isolated from the rest of the world, it is hard to adapt. Rather than those serving short term sentences, this is a factor that deeply affects those serving longer sentences. Due to the advancements made through technology, prisoners will be faced with an environment that is vastly different to what they were used to before prison. Life in prison is very stagnant, in comparison to the world outside. Consequently, entering this new phase of life will be very daunting to those who are not used to this lifestyle and may find it hard to cope. As a result, ex-prisoners may struggle to successfully reintegrate into society if they are not provided with adequate support whilst in custody to help prepare them for life after prison. 

7. Mental health 

Being imprisoned is a traumatic experience and prisoners are at a higher risk of being psychologically affected. Whilst the process of reintegration is already difficult, having a mental health problem will make it even more challenging. According to recent statistics, 67% of prisoners stated they required help for their mental health however, only 35% of those had received the help. As a result, many do not receive the treatment for their mental health problems whilst in prison or the services provided also fail to address the underlying issues that cause mental health problems amongst prisoners. The failure to address the mental health problems faced by prisoners will have a snowball effect on their social reintegration as it can affect their ability to maintain and form relationships with their family, employment and can also lead them to substance abuse. It is important to ensure the prisoners receive mental health treatments and support whilst in prison and post-release to prevent the negative effects mental health may have regarding a successful re-entry to society. 

6. Substance Abuse 

Prisoners with a history of substance abuse have a higher chance of relapse and consequently, reoffending following their release to support their addiction if they are not provided with the support they require. Likewise with mental health, prisoners with a history of substance issues face difficulties in successfully reintegrating as it will also have a snowball effect on the other factors. In order to increase the chances of a successful reintegration, the treatment and intervention they receive throughout their sentence must be maintained following their release. In addition to this, prisoners should also be directed to any social services and community-based treatment/activities to facilitate their rehabilitation and social reintegration. 

5. Losing Familial Connections 

Families of incarcerated individuals are often referred to as the “hidden victims” of crime. Incarceration has a harmful impact, not only on the prisoner but also on their families. For many, having a family member behind bars places a financial, social, psychological and emotional stress on the families which consequently can place a strain on their relationship with the prisoner. 

Following years of isolation, for some it may be difficult for the family members to stay in contact with the incarcerated individual due to various different reasons. As a result, the prisoners may lose the familial connection and any form of support they might have had following their release. For some, the heavy strain placed on their familial relationships may also cause relationships to cease altogether. Whilst for many others, even if they have maintained contact, it may be hard to mend the relationships and trust they once had with their families. The families of prisoners play a significant role in the reintegration of prisoners as they will be able to provide the support and assistance an ex-prisoner may require. To prevent this, efforts must be made to strengthen familial connections whilst in prison and sufficient support must also be extended to the families of the prisoners. This ensures that the families are aware of what is expected of them following the prisoners release and are well-prepared to ease the process of reintegration. 

4. Stigma 

The stigma behind a prisoner’s criminal history tends to prevent them from successfully reintegrating back into society, thus affecting their quality of life. This stigma not only affects their ability to secure a long-term employment, but also has an impact on having access to housing and education. In addition to this, they may be treated differently by the community, causing them to become marginalised and socially isolated, thus affecting their mental health. As a result, stigma may indirectly influence an offender’s behaviour post-release and increase their chances of reoffending. To mitigate the negative effects of stigma faced by prisoners, society must work as a whole to provide opportunities for prisoners following their release to ensure they are able to successfully reintegrate. 

3. Housing

Following imprisonment, individuals may also lose their housing and for some, it may also limit their chances of securing a stable home that is affordable. Housing is a basic amenity and being unable to secure a form of accommodation will cause them to struggle as they may be forced into homelessness. Whilst homelessness is not a singular factor that may hinder a prisoner’s efforts at reintegration, it aggravates other factors and affect their behaviour that may lead them to reoffend, forcing them to continue in the vicious cycle of crime. Having access to housing will provide the individual with the stability they require for a successful re-entry to society as it will mitigate the other factors that may hamper with the prisoners efforts to reintegrate into society. 

2. Lack of Education and Skills 

According to recent statistics, 62% of prisoners have low levels of literacy and 47% of individuals entering prisons lack formal education qualifications. Research shows that prisoners who engaged in educational programmes whilst in prison were less likely to reoffend following their release and furthers the reintegration process as it increases employment opportunities, in addition to promoting their chances of pursuing further education post-release. Through further education and vocational training, prisoners have a greater chances of successfully reintegrating as improves their employability, thus increases their confidence and willingness to reintegrate to society. 

1. Lack of Employment 

Perhaps the biggest challenge of all may be their inability to secure a stable form of income. Some prisoners may have difficulty finding long term employment as they may not be as educated or lack the skills and qualifications required in comparison to their colleagues. 

However, those who have the qualifications and skills may also face the same difficulties. Their criminal history tends to act as a barrier and employers are less than likely to employ those who have been involved in the criminal justice system. This tends to hinder the rehabilitative aspect of the criminal justice system as it is not a process that ends at release. 

The inability to become employed ends up further pushing them deeper in the cycle of crime as a means to survive. In addition to this, the lack of employment begins to negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health. Employment directly reduces recidivism as prisoners begin to socialise with law-abiding peers, increases their confidence, are financially independent and are provided with responsibilities that further enforces their importance in society.