Social rehabilitation is a set of activities with the aim of acquiring such active capabilities as the capacity of an individual to operate in diverse social situations for the fulfillment of their needs and the privilege of the attainment of optimum affluence in their taking part in the society.
Total social rehabilitation is impossible due to various reasons. One of the reasons is that most offenders are likely to get exposed to the environment that initially led to their arrest. This interaction may result in a repeat of their crimes. Another reason is the way that the society views the offenders. People tend to look at the former inmates as criminals and unwanted products of the humankind. For this reason, they are less likely to be accommodated by the community and they may face stigmatization and isolation, therefore not providing them with an apt ambiance to completely fit into society. In addition to that, social rehabilitation is unachievable given such circumstances as parole conditions that may restrict an offender to only specific geographical areas and exempt them from certain social services such as license acquisition.
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As an employer, I would be hesitant to hire an individual with a history of crime or incarceration. This reluctance may be due to reasons such as the person’s skills being inadequate and having a poor employment record. The offender must have acquired insufficient skills or may have a mediocre job history owing to the period spent serving a sentence. Again, for fear of the offender being prone to indulge in previous crimes, I may be reluctant to offer employment to them. Additionally, for the sake of my organization’s reputation and image that may form as a result of employing a felon, I may be unwilling to hire an incarcerated individual with a record of crime.
It is possible to determine whether or not an offender has successfully been rehabilitated by evaluating his or her tendency to engage in crime on the basis of prior criminal records. A well-rehabilitated person is less probable to indulge in misconduct. More to that is by closely watching the person’s traits that could result in criminal deeds. Antisocial behavior is amongst the traits that an offender may possess and that makes him avoid people, acquire weapons and engage in fighting. Another one is interacting with criminal peers that may influence him or her into conducting illegal activities. An offender showing a trait of substance abuse is most likely not successfully reformed. One more characteristic is low self-control that may result in high tempers and unplanned actions as individuals with this trait tend to act before thinking.
Providing employment and favorable living environment should be the final test of a successful rehabilitation in the sense that it allows for the opportunity for an offender to showcase behavior amendments. Given proper community accommodation and employment, it is easy to tell from the person’s way of conduct whether or not they can fit into society. An unchanged person will probably resume into crime and may develop certain characteristics that point towards ineffective correctional operations irrespective of the provision of suitable job and social conditions.
Given the areas discussed above, it is fit to conclude that social rehabilitation is unattainable due to certain aspects as social isolation and unemployment. Furthermore, there exists the possibility of an employer to deny employment to an incarcerated individual owing to specific fears of possible crime repetition. Also, it is possible to figure whether or not an offender has undergone fruitful correctional transformation based on their manner of social conducts. Finally, employment and proper social accommodation provide a test for successful rehabilitation.
References
Bazemore, G. (1999). After shaming, whither reintegration: Restorative justice and relational rehabilitation. Restorative juvenile justice: Repairing the harm of youth crime, 94-115.
Chikadzi, V. (2017). Challenges facing ex-offenders when reintegrating into mainstream society in Gauteng, South Africa. Social Work Journal Vol.53, 56-64.
J. S. Levenson, L. P. (2005). The effect of Megan’s Law on sex offender reintegration. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 21(1), 49-66.
J.S Wormith, R. A. (2007). The rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders: The current landscape and some future directions for correctional psychology. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(7), 879-892.
Public Safety Canada. (2018, Jan 31). The Social Reintegration of Offenders and Crime Prevention. Retrieved from Public Safety Canada: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/scl-rntgrtn/index-en.aspx
