An analysis of post-release offender reintegration strategies delivered by non-governmental organisations

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the nature of offender reintegration strategies and the support delivered to ex-offenders by non-governmental organisations after release. Ex-offenders face a variety of challenges that may hinder their ability to become law-abiding citizens and their relapse make society vulnerable to re-victimisation. Offender reintegration is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Correctional Services. The goal of community-based offender reintegration interventions through governmental and non-governmental agencies is to help offenders overcome the stigma of criminal conviction, detrimental effects of incarceration and other challenges they face in the process of reintegrating back into the community. A qualitative approach was adopted, and semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were used for data collection. The sample consisted of experts within the field of offender reintegration working at NGOs that offer reintegration support to offenders in Gauteng Province. Findings indicated that social challenges that ex-offenders experienced after their release from correctional centres were associated with labelling, stigmatisation, rejection and discrimination from both their families and society in general. In addition, they found it difficult to find employment and to become financially independent. Although findings acknowledged that successful rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders remains their individual choice, the lack of support they experience makes it difficult for ex-offenders to feel part of society and to adapt to social norms in society. When ex-offenders are not accepted and supported within society, it becomes difficult for them to manage and overcome challenges they experience after release therefore increasing the risk of relapse and reoffending. Findings indicated that the majority of reintegration services delivered by both governmental and non-governmental organisations are offered pre-release. These interventions predominantly consist of life skills and vocational training programmes. Due to limited halfway houses across the country, only a few offenders who lack accommodation can be placed in those facilities. The lack of adequate support for released offenders was therefore recognised in this study as a gap that needs to be filled to achieve effective offender reintegration. Recommendations with regards to findings were made with calls for advocacy, action and further research.

Thuto ena e ikemiseditse ho hlahloba mofuta wa maano a ho kopanya batlodi ba molao le setjhaba le tshehetso eo ba e fumanang ho mekgatlo eo e seng ya mmuso ka mora ho lokollwa tjhankaneng. Bao e kileng ya e ba batlodi ba molao ba tobana le diphephetso tse mangata tse ka nang tsa sitisa bokgoni ba bona ba ho ba baahi ba bolokang molao, mme ho kgutlela mokgweng wa bona ho etsa hore setjhaba se be kotsing ya ho hlekefetswa hape. Ho kopanngwa batlodi ba molao le setjhaba ha se boikarabello ba Lefapha la Ditshebeletso tsa Tlhabollo le le leng. Sepheo sa ho kena dipakeng se thehilweng hodima setjhaba sa ho kopanya batlodi ba molao le setjhaba ka mekgatlo ya mmuso le eo e seng ya mmuso ke ho thusa batlodi ba molao ho hlola sekgobo sa kahlolo ya botlokotsebe ditlamorao tse mpe tsa ho kwallwa le diphephetso tse ding tseo ba tobanang le tsona nakong ya ho kgutlela setjhabeng. Ho ile ha amohelwa mokgwa katamelo wa boleng mme ha sebediswa dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle tsa sefahleho le sefahleho le mohala bakeng sa ho bokella dintlha. Mofuputsi o sebedisitse boikgethelo ba hae ho kgetha bankakarolo ba loketseng thuto ho latela tsebo ya bona ya maemo a phuphutso e hlophisitsweng. Sampole ena e akaretsa le ditsebi tse nang le tsebo ya ho kopanya batlodi ba molao le setjhaba ba sebeletsang mekgatlo e ikemetseng (NGOs) e fanang ka tshehetso ya ho kopanngwa ha batlodi ba molao le setjhaba provenseng ya Gauteng Afrika Borwa.Tlhahlobo ya sehlooho e ile ya sebediswa molemong wa tlhahlobo ya pokello ya dintlha. Diphuputso di bontshitse hore mathata a setjhaba ao batlodi ba molao ba fetileng ba bileng le ona ka mora hore ba lokollwe ditsing tsa kgalemelo, a amahanngwa le ho tshwauwa, ho kgojwa, kgeswa, ho hanwa le ho kgethollwa ho tswa malapeng a bona le setjhabeng ka kakaretso. Ho eketsa ho moo, ba ile ba thatafallwa ke ho fumana mosebetsi le ho ikemela ditjheleteng. Leha diphuputso di ile tsa dumela hore ho busetsa motho bophelo bo botle ka kwetliso le ho kopangwa ha batlodi ba molao le setjhaba e ntse e le kgetho ya bona ka bomong, ho hloka tshehetso ho etsa hore ho be thata hore batlodi ba molao ba mehleng ba ikutlwe e le karolo ya setjhaba le ho ikamahanya le mekgwa ya setjhaba setjhabeng. Ha batlodi ba molao ba mehleng ba sa amohelwe le ho tshehetswa ka hara setjhaba, ho ba thata ho bona ho laola le ho hlola diphephetso tseo ba thulanang le tsona ka mora ho lokollwa tjhankaneng, ka hona ho eketsa kotsi ya ho kgutlela mokgweng le ho tlola molao hape. Diphuputso di bontshitse hore boholo ba ditshebeletso tsa ho kopanya batlodi ba molao le setjhaba tse fanwang ke mekgatlo ya mmuso le eo e seng ya mmuso di fanwa pele batlodi ba molao ba lokollwa tjhankaneng. Bonamodi bona hangata bo na le ditsebo tsa bophelo le mananeo a kwetliso ya mosebetsi wa matsoho. Ka lebaka la ho haela ha dibaka tseo batho ba tswang tjhankaneng ba ka phelang ho tsona pele ba lokollwa ka botlalo ho pholletsa naha, ke batlodi ba seng bakae feela ba hlokang bolulo ba ka behwang ditsing tseo. Ho haella ha tshehetso e lekaneng bakeng sa batlodi ba molao ba lokolotsweng tjhankaneng ho ile ha hlokomelwa thutong ena e le lekgalo le lokelang ho tlatswa ho fihlela ho kgutlisetswa ha batlodi ba molao ka tsela e sebetsang. Ditlhahiso mabapi le diphuputso di entswe mabapi le boipiletso ba botshehetsi, diketso le dipatlisiso tse ling.

Ucwaningo luhlose ukuhlola uhlobo lwamasu okubuyisela izephulamthetho kanye nokusekelwa okulethwa kulabo ababeyizephulamthetho yizinhlangano ezingekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni ngemva kokukhululwa. Ababeyizephulamthetho babhekana nezinselele ezihlukahlukene ezingase zithiye ikhono labo lokuba yizo izakhamuzi ezithobela umthetho, kanye nokubuyela emuva kwazo kwenza umphakathi ube sengcupheni yokuhlukunyezwa kabusha. Ukuhlanganiswa kabusha kwezephulamthetho akuwona wodwa umthwalo wemfanelo woMnyango Wezokuhlunyeleliswa Kwezimilo. Umgomo wokungenelela kokubuyisela kwezephulamthetho emphakathini ngokusebenzisa izikhungo zikahulumeni nezingekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni ukusiza izephulamthetho zinqobe ukucwaswa kokugwetshwa ngamacala obugebengu, imiphumela elimazayo yokuboshwa kanye nezinye izinselelo ababhekana nazo ohlelweni lokubuyela emphakathini. Indlela yemininingwane ngokusebenzisa ukuxhumana okuvulekile nokuxoxa yemukelwa, kwase kusetshenziswa izingxoxo zobuso nobuso nezingcingo ezingahlelekile ukuze kuqoqwe imininingwane. Kusetshenziswe amasu okusampula ukuqonda kwabo ukukhetha ababambiqhaza abafanelekile bocwaningo nendlela yokwenza okungenzeka ibe khona ukuze kukhethwe ababambiqhaza balolu cwaningo. Isampula yayihlanganisa ochwepheshe emkhakheni wokuhlanganiswa kabusha kwezephulamthetho ezisebenza kuma-NGO anikeza ukwesekwa kokubuyiselwa ekuhlanganisweni kwezaphulamthetho esifundazweni sase-Gauteng eNingizimu Afrika. Ukuhlaziywa kwendikimba kwasetshenziselwa izinjongo zokuhlaziya imininingwane. Okutholakele kubonise ukuthi izinselele zomphakathi labo ababeyizephulamthetho ababhekana nazo ngemva kokukhululwa kwabo ezikhungweni zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo zazihambisana nokunamathisela igama elichazayo kumuntu, ukucwaswa, ukwenqatshwa kanye nokubandlululwa okuvela emindenini yabo nasemphakathini uwonke. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bakuthola kunzima ukuthola umsebenzi nokuzimela ngokwezimali. Nakuba okutholakele kwavuma ukuthi ukuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo okuyimpumelelo kanye nokuhlanganiswa kabusha kwezaphulamthetho kusalokhu kuyisinqumo sabo somuntu ngamunye, ukuntula ukusekelwa abakutholayo kwenza kube nzima kulabo ababeyizephulamthetho ukuzizwa beyingxenye yomphakathi kanye nokuzivumelanisa nezinkambiso zomphakathi emphakathini. Uma ababeyizephulamthetho bengamukelwa futhi besekelwa emphakathini, kuba nzima kubo ukuphatha futhi banqobe izinselele abahlangabezana nazo ngemva kokukhululwa, ngakho kwandisa ingcuphe yokuphinda futhi bone. Imiphumela yabonisa ukuthi iningi lezinsizakalo zokubuyiselwa esikhundleni ezilethwa yizinhlangano zikahulumeni nezingekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni zinikezwa ngaphambi kokukhishwa. Lezi zinhlelo zokungenelela ikakhulukazi zibandakanya amakhono empilo kanye nezinhlelo zokuqeqeshelwa umsebenzi. Ngenxa yokunqunyelwa kwezindlu ezimaphakathi ezweni lonke, izephulamthetho ezimbalwa kuphela ezingenayo indawo yokuhlala ezingafakwa kulezo zikhungo. Ngakho-ke ukuntula kokusekelwa okwanele kwezephulamthetho ezikhululiwe kwaqashelwa kulolu cwaningo njengegebe okudingeka ligcwaliswe ukuze kuzuzwe ukubuyiselwa kwesaphulamthetho okusebenzayo. Iziphakamiso mayelana nokutholakele zenziwa nezicelo zokumela, isenzo kanye nocwaningo olwengeziwe.