ABSTRACT

This study explores the causes of recidivism among inmates in a prison facility in Ghana. Eleven men who had served two or more terms of imprisonment, five prison officers who were in charge of rehabilitation, five community members, and two police officers (in Ghana, most offenses are prosecuted by the police) who had prosecuted at least three recidivists were interviewed. Based on the analysis, results suggest that the inmates were reincarcerated due to structural deficiencies (perceived overcrowding and inadequate rehabilitation in the prison), situational factors (perceived weak family ties during and post-prison), and personal or lifestyle factors (perceived laziness and reluctance to change on the part of some inmates). The limitations of the results have been highlighted and the need for future research has been discussed.

摘要

这项研究探讨了加纳监狱设施中囚犯再犯的原因。11 名服刑两次或以上的男子、5 名负责改造的狱警、5 名社区成员和两名起诉至少 3 名惯犯的警察（在加纳，大多数罪行由警方起诉）是接受了采访。根据分析，结果表明，囚犯因结构缺陷（认为监狱过度拥挤和康复不足）、情境因素（认为在监狱期间和之后的家庭关系薄弱）以及个人或生活方式因素（认为懒惰和部分囚犯不愿改变）。强调了结果的局限性，并讨论了未来研究的必要性。