TALKING RECIDIVISM AND REINTEGRATION: THE ROLE OF RELATIONSHIPS IN OFFENDING AND CONFORMING BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

The extensive social and economic costs of running prisons can be detrimental to the progress of society. Therefore, noting Singapore’s relatively high prison population rates (Hirschmann, 2020), it is no surprise that reducing recidivism rates is a key concern here. In order to reduce recidivism rates, the successful reintegration and desistance of ex-offenders is crucial. Reintegration refers to the transition into society after imprisonment while desistance refers to the continued process of abstaining from criminal activity thereafter. To address the lack of research examining the process of reintegration from the perspectives of ex-offenders themselves (Davis, Bahr & Ward, 2013, p.447), qualitative data was gathered and analyzed from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 ex-offenders. Comprising of 7 men and 5 women, participants hailed from various social backgrounds and the sample was diverse in terms of gender, age, race and religious background. Despite this heterogeneity, the salience of maintaining positive interpersonal relationships was consistent in the narratives supporting reintegration and desistance. Cutting ties with delinquent peers, developing a positive selfidentity through personal achievements, and maintaining positive familial, professional, and platonic relationships was key in successful reintegration and desistance. Conversely, emotional distress derived from having bad relationships with family members, romantic partners, prison authorities, and peers influenced offending behavior. By providing exoffenders with a platform to share their stories, this paper seeks to illustrate the centrality of such relationships in offending and conforming behavior.