Cezaevinden Çıkan Eski Hükümlülerin Suçu Terk Etmeleri Üzerinde Aile Desteğinin Önemi
Sadullah Seyidoğlu, Zahir KızmazBu araştırmada cezaevinden tahliye olan eski hükümlülerin gerek cezaevinde gerekse cezaevinden sonraki dönemde ailelerinden gördükleri sosyo-ekonomik ve psikolojik desteğin onların suçu terk etmeleri üzerindeki etkisine odaklanılmıştır. Çalışmada nitel bir araştırma yöntemi tercih edilmiştir. Bu kapsamda cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra en az iki yıl suç işlememiş 50 eski hükümlü ile görüşme yapılmıştır. Görüşme yapılan eski mahkûmlar Diyarbakır’da ikamet eden bireylerden seçilmiştir. Araştırmada katılımcıların büyük bir çoğunluğu gerek cezaevinde gerekse cezaevi sonrası dönemde ailelerinden gördükleri desteğin onların suçu terk etmelerinde önemli bir katkı sağladığını belirtmişlerdir. Bu kapsamda eski hükümlülerin cezaevinde iken aileleri tarafından ziyaret edilmeleri, telefon görüşmeleri gerçekleştirmeleri, cezaevinde maddi ihtiyaçlarını karşılamaları ve cezaevi sonrası dönemde de ailenin sosyo-ekonomik desteği sunmaya devam etmesinin onların suçu terk etmeleri üzerinde etkili olduğu sonucu elde edilmiştir. Ayrıca eski hükümlülerden evli ve çocuk sahibi olanlar suçu daha kolay terk ettikleri belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak bu araştırmada cezaevinden çıkan eski hükümlülerin aile ilişkilerinin devam ettiği, onlara karşı dışlayıcı tutumdan kaçınıldığı, gelir ve barınma desteğinin sunulduğu görülmüş ve bu tutumun eski hükümlülerin suçu terk etmelerinde önemli düzeyde etkili olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Bu bulgulardan hareketle eski hükümlülerin yeniden suç işlemelerinin önlenmesinde aile temelli destekler içeren program ve faaliyetlerin daha sistematik bir şekilde sunulması gerektiği sonucuna varılmıştır.
The Importance of Family Support on the Desistance of the Ex-convicts Discharged from Prison
Sadullah Seyidoğlu, Zahir KızmazThis study concentrates on the impact of socioeconomic and psychological support from the families of ex-convicts discharged from prison on their desistance from crime, both in prison and in the post-prison period. A qualitative research method was adopted in this study. In this context, 50 ex-convicts who had not committed a crime since at least two years after their release from prison were interviewed. The ex-convicts interviewed were selected from among the individuals residing in Diyarbakr. In the conducted research, the majority of the participants stated that the support they were provided by their families both in prison and in the post-prison period made a significant contribution to their desistance from crime. In this context, it was concluded that being visited by the families of ex-convicts while they were in prison, making phone calls, meeting their pecuniary needs in prison, and continuing to provide socio-economic support by the family in the post-prison period were effective in reducing their desistance from crime. In addition, it was determined that ex-convicts who were married and had children committed crime more easily. In conclusion, it was presented in this study that the family relations of ex-convicts discharged from prison continued, that an exclusionary attitude towards them was avoided, and that income and accommodation support was provided. Thus, this attitude had a significant role in ex-convicts’ quitting their crime. Based on these findings, it was concluded that it is necessary to provide family-based support programmes and activities more systematically to prevent ex-convicts from recommitting crime.
This research aims to reveal the effect of family support on the successful adaptation of ex-convicts to society and their recidivism. The phenomenological research model, one of the qualitative research models, was adopted in the study. The sample population of the study was specified as the Diyarbakır province. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques, which are non-random (not based on probability) sampling methods, were all utilised in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 50 ex-convicts over the age of 18 (who were imprisoned for drug, theft and injury crimes) who did not commit any crime for at least two years after their release from prison. A considerable percentage of those who were discharged from prison recidivate and return to prison within two years, according to the literature on criminology. Accordingly, the sample group was formed on the basis of the criterion that at least 2 years should have elapsed after their release from prison. The semi-structured interview technique was used as a data collection tool.
Numerous factors, including the presence of family support, employment or participation in the labour force, development of personal motivation to change, abandonment of substance addiction, deterrence effect of prisons, effectiveness of prison-based rehabilitation programmes, the rejection of criminal environments and friendships, growth of spirituality and religiosity, maturation process, and activities carried out within the scope of probation, have been found to be effective in contributing to ex-convicts’ desistance from crime.
Of these theories, the life course theory states that changes in the lives of offenders, such as marriage and employment, are effective in their desistance from crime, while the cognitive theory draws attention to the motivation of the individual for change. Social control theory highlights the effect of the individual’s increasing social commitment to values and institutions by maturing as they age, while rational choice theory asserts that desistance from crime may be related to the fact that it seems more reasonable (in terms of profit/benefit and loss/cost) for the individual. Narrative theories explain that during the process of desistance from crime, ex-offenders reconstruct their social identities toward recovery. The coercion and social support approach explains the exoffender’s capacity to tackle problems with the social support he/she receives from the community and the capacity to overcome problems with this help.
In the study, it was revealed that those who stated that they abandoned crime and integrated into the society among the participants were overwhelmingly supported socio-psychologically (relational, social, emotional, etc.) and financially (housing, transportation, work, financial aid, etc.) by their families both in prison and post-prison. In other words, it has been concluded that among the familial variables, the fact that the offenders maintain contact with their family members both in prison and in the post-prison period and their financial support have a substantial effect on their desistance from crime. In this context, it has been discovered that the visits made during the imprisonment process lead to the strengthening of the convicts’ commitment to their family members and responsibilities. By virtue of this strengthened bond, it was revealed that the ex-convicts experienced a sense of regret for the crime they committed and tended to desist from the crime in order not to sadden their family members anymore.
They also noted that the fact that individuals released from prison assist their families in earning a living, caring for them, and taking on various family tasks prevents them from recidivism. The fact that the participants began to feel responsibility for their families, and as a result of this responsibility, they endeavoured to earn their livelihood (especially their spouses and children), and acted with the motive of adopting and protecting their family members brought about a series of mental transformations in the participants. These mental transformations have caused a change in ex-offenders’ perspectives on their criminal behaviour.
It is also observed that criminals that are married or who get married after imprisonment are more successfully adapted to society and desist from crime. Marriage plays an essential role in the process of building a proper family life, developing social and emotional bonds between family members, reducing interactions with the criminal environment, and detaching the individual from his/her criminal identity. In addition, it was concluded that bearing children also plays a deterrent role in preventing individuals from recidivism. In some participants, those who are married and have children stated that they longed for their children in prison, that their children would be victimised in case of recidivism, and that they fear that their children would emulate them, all of which led them to desist from crime.
