2021/12/24: Research of the Career Development and the Related Community Transfer Measures of Drug Crime Offenders
- Publication Date：
- Last updated：2021-12-27
- View count：297
- Research Supervisor
Wu Yung-Ta - Author
Freya Hsu, Cheng Po-Wen, Wu-Yu - Abstract
“Stable employment” has long been recognized as an important predictor of reentry and reintegrate on ex-offenders. Ex-offenders often encounter many difficulties on finding jobs after released from prison. Difficulties such as restrictions on job categories, inadequate social acceptance, dysfunctional families, low self-motivation and insufficient job skills. Drug offenders, who represent the largest number of prisoners in Taiwan’s correctional institutions, may experience even strong social exclusion and more employment challenges.
To further examine the effectiveness of correctional institutions and related units, this study uses qualitative interviews to understand drug offenders’ experiences on job hunt and employment; as well as their perceptions on the institutes’ skill-training and work system. In addition, this study also uses questionnaire survey to explore the effects of self-labeling, social exclusion and employment willingness of drug offenders. In order to understand the actual recidivism rate of drug offenders, this study analyzes the trajectory of drug inmates entering and exiting correctional institutions data from 2008 to 2020. Then uses survival analysis to predict the effects of different genders, correctional institutions, and crime types on recidivism rate. Questionnaire survey result showed that female drug offenders were more willing to maintain good employment attitude and adequate skill preparation than males, higher employment attitude leads to better skill preparation.
Qualitative interviews result showed that majority of respondents look for jobs through their own interpersonal network and family. They rarely used resources provided by the government or related units; some of respondents still experienced rejection by employers and coworkers because of their ex-offender identity. Perceptions on correctional institutes’ skilltraining and work system were mixed, but respondents did expressed the need to relax the limitation for participating in skill-training and work release.
Through database analyzed, this study found that the overall recidivism rate of vi drug offenders exit prison and rehab was about 65%. Drug offenders’ recidivism rate decreased as they leave correctional institutions for longer periods of time. The most common crime offense was still drug crimes in recidivism data, followed by property crimes. When compared the gender variable, male drug offenders would commit any type of crime within 5 years, while female drug offenders would commit any type of crime within 6 years; approximately 11 months difference. The risk of recidivism for male drug offenders was 1.264 times more than female drug offenders. When compared the correctional institution variable, those in prisons would commit any type of crime within 6.5 years, while those in rehabs would commit any type of crime within 7.37 years; approximately 10 months difference. The risk of recidivism for prison population was 1.083 times more than rehab population.
This study suggests that government should relax certain types of crime offense limitation of prisoners to participate in skill-training and work system in guild line of the “Regulation Governing Labor by Inmates.” Correctional institutes can also cooperate with the Ministry of Labor and private enterprises, to expand the processing of echnical training, internship, licensing examination, and employment. This can solve the insufficient space and short staffed problems in correctional institutes. In terms of the transition to employment, government should integrate various resources. Coordinating by After-Care Association may reduce ex-offenders’ resistance of government’s help. Also set up single-contact for employment assessment and job hunt service before prisoners leave correctional institutes. This may effectively utilize employment resources. Lastly, the acceptance of drug offenders by society or the community has a positive meaning. If the relevant line units can raise enterprises awareness of drug offenders’ social acceptance, it can also indirectly enhance the correctional institutions’ development of employment system for ex-offenders.
Keywords: drug offender, ex-offender, recidivism, employment, social reintegration