Prisoner Social Reintegration in Ghana through Christian Social Support and Restorative Justice

Abstract

Research has shown that the main challenge of prisoners remains how they will readapt to life in the community after their release. This is always a huge adjustment for prisoners to make, especially after a long sentence, and where a number of factors come into play. As pointed out by Zehr, the Western (criminal) justice system which views crime as a violation of law other than of relationships, is beset with difficulties as victims, offenders and community members often feel that justice does not adequately meet their needs. Restorative justice, therefore, seems to suggest a remedy where victims and their offenders have their hurts and wounds addressed so that both they and the community are healed. Similarly, in recent times, religiosity in the prisons has been seen as a strong force for social solidarity and a source of support for prisoners while in incarceration and when they go on discharge. This study sought the views of 150 Ghanaians randomly sampled from targeted subgroups of the population through interviews and questionnaire to examine the role of social support and religiosity towards prisoners’ reintegration as well as the strengths of restorative justice in ensuring peaceful coexistence. The expressed opinions and shared knowledge by respondents point to the fact that our society cannot be devoid of crime, and that the presence of repeat offenders in our prisons is indicative of the fact that imprisonment (punishment) alone cannot reform people who often fall foul to the law. Restorative programmes do play a vital role in the rehabilitation of offenders. The study does confirm that prisoners’ reintegration is enhanced through the influence of religious instructions and material support from a prisoner’s religious group. Consequently, the study recommends that preparations for reintegration must begin immediately after incarceration.