A link to recidivism : excluding female offenders serving short sentences from rehabilitation programmes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. This study discusses the issue of rehabilitation and the lived reality of female offenders serving short-term sentences who are excluded from rehabilitation programmes. This exclusion ill-equips the women from reforming their criminal behaviours leading to a life of recidivism. It also examines Bourdieu’s theory of habitus to identify a suitably unifying theoretical framework to analyse female criminality and the link between short-term sentences and recidivism. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The explorative and ethnographic lens gives voice to social realities of the offender’s punishment, rehabilitation (or lack thereof), reintegration, and recidivism. As female offenders only constitute 3% of the correctional population in South Africa, the sample was limited to ten female offenders. RESULTS. While research on female criminality has just starting to receive attention in South Africa, rehabilitation programmes are still mostly geared toward the reform of criminal behaviour amongst male offenders and a gender-sensitive correctional programme has been overlooked. Ironically by default, female offenders serving short-term sentences are further overlooked as they are excluded from rehabilitation programmes. CONCLUSION. The study makes a case that a gender-sensitive rehabilitation programme (with a focus on empowering women as decision makers capable of acquiring competence in areas such as motherhood, education, and skills development) needs to be available to all females entering the penal and corrective system. Without being equipped to deal with a variety of challenges which may affect adjustment to life outside the correctional facility and maintain their reformative behaviours, a great risk of recidivism for female offenders arises.