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Vision |
One of the most central
challenges of our time is the need to find the balance between global
socio-economic processes and their effect on local communities. In this
blurry situation, governments, private sector and NGOs alike take
efforts in contributing to the sustainable development of local
communities by using experience and methods already tried worldwide.
Understanding the importance and the need of interdisciplinary and open
thought is crucial in order to offer the best solution to complex
problems. Read more
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| David Martin Abrahams |
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The Importance of Rehabilitating Prisoners in Society
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By David Martin Abrahams
Jan 04, 2010
A thriving local community is invaluable. I am a devoted advocate of developing strong local communities.
When considering communities, it is important to acknowledge the social circles in which people are affiliated to. It is often said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. That is why I am glad to devote this article to the efforts of the local community in the North East and support prisoners in our regional prisons, as well as their families. North Eastern Prison After Care Society (NEPACS), a limited charitable company, which I am associated with, conducts worthy activities whose roots go back to the end of the 19th Century.
Often a prisoner’s life turns out to be a vicious cycle. In the majority of cases a prisoner will be male, growing up in a dysfunctional family in a deprived neighbourhood. This results in his developing anti-social behaviour already in his youth, and culminates in his committing one crime too many causing him to be jailed. In jail he is of course exposed to the criminal world and loses touch with normative ideals. If this prisoner has a partner and children, they are severely affected due to the lack of a father figure along with bearing a stigma and finding it difficult to earn their own income. Families of three or more children with complex problems can cost the state between 250 and 350K each. Currently the government has a youth crime action plan, a violent crime action plan and over 90 million pounds is being allocated to local authorities each year to provide targeted parenting and ‘think-families’ programmes.
NEPACS aims to ease the harsh reality of the prisoners and their families in various ways: by arranging holidays in a caravan park on the North East coast: developing and maintaining visitors’ centres for prisoners’ families in North East prisons; and offering special programmes for adolescents. By doing so, they strengthen the weakest populations in our community and help build bridges between families in distress and the broader social circles.
Moreover, these voluntary activities go hand in hand with policy changes adopted by the State welfare and justice systems which focus on the needs of distressed families. Nowadays, the authorities understand that in families who suffer from socio-economic problems, poverty and anti-social behaviour, parents and children should not be treated separately. Following the logic of the weakest link, various programmes and projects have been developed, including a one-on-one mentoring by social workers who work with the most difficult families in the community.
Ultimately these examples prove the importance of fostering local initiatives alongside government policies. To this end, the government should conduct joint social programmes with local social entrepreneurs.
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