The impact of rehabilitation programmes on prisoners : a case study of the Westville Prison educational programmes.
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Date
2007
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Abstract
This study investigates the impact of education programmes on the rehabilitation
of prisoners. For the purpose of this study, rehabilitation of a prisoner is a stage
reached when a person, after admission into prison, undergoes specifically
planned programmes that will help him or her to fit well into society (social
adjustment), be accepted by family and community and not to re-enter prison after
release.
This study acknowledges the fact that education on its own is not necessarily
rehabilitative, but education helps to equip people with knowledge and skills that
they may use in the outside world so that they may not resort to criminal practices
as a result of unemployment.
Methods of rehabilitation in different countries have been studied with the aim of
comparing them with those in the South African context. Theories concerning the
causes and treatment of crime and some ways of rehabilitating prisoners have also
been examined. Questionnaires with personal, administrative and institutions
items were given to programme facilitators, participants in programmes, nonparticipants
in programmes and to ex-prisoners. Some questionnaires were given
to family members of prisoners. Also, interviews with prison warders were
conducted.
This study has shown that educational programmes have a positive impact on the
rehabilitation of prisoners. Sentenced prisoners and ex-prisoners that participated
in educational programmes confirmed this.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, [2007]
Keywords
Prisoners--Education--South Africa., Criminals--Rehabilitation--South Africa., Theses--Education.