South Africa continues to experience an increase in crime rate that is arguably linked to the
high rate of recidivism. It is of great concern that the key purpose (i.e., to reduce crime) of
correctional system is producing the opposite effect of recidivism. It is important not to
haphazardly study the high rate of recidivism among male ex-offenders but also to understand
their lived experiences. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences
of male ex-offenders in the Johannesburg metropolitan areas of Soweto and Ormonde.
Literature seems to suggest that factors such as unemployment, peer pressure, the pressure of
being a man and the struggles of reintegration, including judgement and acceptance from the
community, friends and family among others, contribute to recidivism. The analytical
framework for the study comprised two theories, which are Albert Bandura’s Social Learning
Theory and the Labelling Theory by Howard Becker. An interpretivist paradigm was adopted
to understand the multiple realities that exist around recidivism of male ex-offenders. A
qualitative method was utilised to explore factors that contribute to recidivism. Six participants
aged between 32 and 41 years participated in the study. Data was collected using semi
structured, open-ended interviews. Due to the sensitivity of this study, snowball and purposive
sampling techniques were used to select participants. The participants had previously
reoffended more than once due to the challenges, such as the previous criminal record,
unemployment, stigmatisation by the community and the struggle of providing for their family.
In order to get full insight of the participants lived experiences, Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method was used to analyse data. This method of analysis
allowed me to narrow down large amount of data into five meaningful themes, and categories.
The identified themes were relevant to the research questions, and these included motivation
behind recidivism (theme 1), life in Johannesburg as an ex-offender (theme 2), notions of
reoffending (theme 3), reintegration and acceptance – a sense of belonging (theme 4), rejection
and lack of support (theme 5). The findings of this research can contribute to existing research
that has been conducted by others in exploring the lived experiences of male ex-offenders that
have contributed to recidivism.
Suid-Afrika ervaar steeds 'n toename in misdaadsyfers wat verband hou met die hoë koerse van
herhaling. Dit wek groot kommer dat die sleuteldoel van fasiliteite soos die korrektiewe stelsel
om misdaad te verminder, gelei het tot 'n stryd om die gewenste uitkoms te lewer. Dit is
belangrik om nie net die hoë koerse van herhaling onder manlike oud-oortreders te bestudeer
nie, maar ook om hul geleefde ervarings te verstaan. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was
om die geleefde ervarings van manlike oud-oortreders in die Johannesburgse metropolitaanse
gebiede van Soweto en Ormonde te verken. Die studie het gefokus op die begrip van
residivisme vanuit die perspektief van manlike eks-oortreders, en hul motivering vir voorheen
heroortreding. Verskeie faktore soos werkloosheid, groepsdruk, die druk om 'n man te wees en
die stryd van herintegrasie, insluitend oordeel en aanvaarding deur die gemeenskap, vriende en
familie onder andere, is geïdentifiseer. Die analitiese raamwerk vir die studie het twee teorieë
bestaan, naamlik Albert Bandura se Sosiale Leerteorie en die Etiketteringsteorie deur Howard
Becker. Interpretivisme is as die navorsingsparadigma aanvaar om die veelvuldige realiteite
wat bestaan met betrekking tot die residivisme van manlike oud-oortreders te verstaan. 'n
Kwalitatiewe metode is gebruik om die faktore wat bydraende faktore van oud-oortreders wat
heroortree, te verstaan. Ses deelnemers van tussen 32 en 41 jaar het aan hierdie studie
deelgeneem. Data is ingesamel met behulp van oop onderhoudvrae oor manlike oud-oortreders.
Die deelnemers is gekies deur gebruik te maak van beide die sneeubal- en doelgerigte
steekproeftegnieke. Die mans het voorheen meer as een keer heroortree weens die uitdagings
van ’n vorige kriminele rekord, werkloosheid, stigmatisering deur die gemeenskap en die stryd
om vir hul gesin te voorsien. Die data is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van die Interpretatiewe
Fenomenologiese Analise metode om volle insig te kry van die deelnemers se geleefde
ervarings en het dan die groot hoeveelheid data in vyf betekenisvolle temas en kategorieë
vernou.Die geïdentifiseerde temas was relevant tot die navorsingsvrae, insluitend motivering
agter residivisme (Tema 1), lewe in Johannesburg as 'n voormalige oortreder (Tema 2), idees
van heroortreding (Tema 3), herintegrasie en aanvaarding – 'n gevoel van behoort (Tema 4),
en verwerping en gebrek aan ondersteuning (Tema 5). Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing
kan bydra tot bestaande navorsing wat deur ander gedoen is om die geleefde ervarings van
manlike eks-oortreders wat tot herhaling bygedra het, te ondersoek.
Aforika Borwa e tswelapele ho ba le keketseho ya sekgahla sa botlokotsebe se hokahaneng le
sekgahla se hodimo sa phetohelo. Hoa tšoenya haholo hore morero oa bohlokoa oa ho ba le
litsi tse kang tsamaiso ea khalemelo ho fokotsa botlokotsebe o bakile ntoa ea ho hlahisa
sephetho se lakatsehang. Ho bohlokoa ho se ithute feela litekanyetso tse phahameng tsa ho
pheta-pheta har'a banna bao e kileng ea e-ba litlokotsebe empa hape le ho utloisisa liphihlelo
tsa bona tse phelang. Sepheo sa mantlha sa phuputso ena e ne e le ho hlahloba liphihlelo tsa
banna bao e neng e le batlōli ba molao litoropong tsa Johannesburg tsa Soweto le Ormonde.
Boithuto bo ne bo tsepamisitse maikutlo ho utloisiseng ho pheta-pheta ho tsoa ponong ea banna
bao e kileng ea e-ba batlōli ba molao, le sepheo sa bona sa ho khopisa pele. Lintlha tse 'maloa
tse kang ho hloka mosebetsi, khatello ea lithaka, khatello ea ho ba monna le mathata a ho
tsosolosoa, ho kenyeletsa kahlolo le ho amoheloa ke sechaba, metsoalle le lelapa har'a tse ling,
li ile tsa khetholloa. Moralo oa tlhahlobo oa thuto o na le likhopolo tse peli, e leng Khopolo ea
Albert Bandura ea Thuto ea Sechaba le Khopolo ea Ho Ngola ka Howard Becker.
Interpretivism e ile ea amoheloa e le paradigm ea lipatlisiso ho utloisisa linnete tse ngata tse
teng mabapi le ho pheta-pheta ha batlōli ba molao ba banna. Ho ile ha sebelisoa mokhoa oa
boleng ho utloisisa mabaka a tlatselletsang hore batlōli ba khale ba khopise. Barupeluoa ba
tšeletseng ba pakeng tsa lilemo tse 32 le 41 ba nkile karolo phuputsong ena. Lintlha li ile tsa
bokelloa ho sebelisoa lipotso tsa lipuisano tse bulehileng ho banna bao e neng e le batlōli ba
molao. Barupeluoa ba khethiloe ho sebelisoa mekhoa ea ho thella lehloa le mekhoa e metle ea
ho etsa lisampole. Banna bana ba ne ba kile ba siteloa ka makhetlo a fetang le le leng ka lebaka
la liphephetso tsa tlaleho ea pele ea tlōlo ea molao, ho hloka mosebetsi, ho khesoa ke sechaba
le ho loanela ho hlokomela malapa a bona. Lintlha li ile tsa hlahlobjoa ho sebelisoa mokhoa oa
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ho fumana temohisiso e felletseng ea barupeluoa ba
phetseng liphihlelo ebe ba fokotsa palo e kholo ea data ka lihlooho tse hlano tse nang le
moelelo, le mekhahlelo. Lihlooho tse khethiloeng li ne li amana le lipotso tsa lipatlisiso, tse
kenyeletsang tšusumetso ea ho pheta-pheta (Tema ea 1), bophelo ba Johannesburg e le mofosi
oa khale (Tema 2), maikutlo a ho fosa hape (Tema ea 3), ho kopanya bocha le ho amoheloa -
maikutlo a ho ba setho sa motho (Morero oa 2). 4), le ho khesoa le ho hloka tšehetso (Theme
5). Liphuputso tsa phuputso ena li ka kenya letsoho liphuputsong tse seng li ntse li le teng tse
entsoeng ke ba bang ho hlahloba liphihlelo tse phelang tsa banna bao e kileng ea e-ba batlōli
ba molao ba tlatselitseng ho pheta-pheta.
