Prison Reintegration

The Concept of Prison Programs and Reintegration

Prison programs are a set of structured activities offered to inmates during the period they are serving time in prison or are incarcerated. These programs are mandatory, however, even when they are voluntary, inmates still participate in those programs in order to gain the requisite skills and knowledge that will make them productive members of the community upon their release (Ghana Prison Service, 2015).

If something is not well defined it is misunderstood. The concept reintegration has face such a challenge because it is a term that has been used interchangeably with the terms ‘resettlement’ and ‘reentry’. Labelled at one time, as one of the new buzzwords in correctional reform (Austin,

A comprehensive and more holistic meaning of reintegration, on the other hand, comprises the totality of process an offender will undergo immediately following an arrest. This includes that, rather than exposing the offender to the harmful and de-socializing effects of imprisonment, alternative sanctions or restorative justice measures which may include referrals for addiction treatment, personal development or community service ought to be considered (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,

In this review, these terms are used interchangeably to designate interventions, programs and services designed to help inmates live law-abiding lives in the community following their discharge from prison. Nevertheless, the reader is cautioned against using the term “reintegration” too literally, as it should be clear that, in many instances, the offenders were not prior to their incarceration, successfully integrated into the community, were typically marginalized, and often had failed to acquire the attitudes and behaviors that result in most people functioning productively in