INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Social reintegration is often understood as the support given to offenders during their re-entry
into society following imprisonment. A broader definition, however, encompasses a number
of interventions undertaken following an arrest to divert offenders away from the criminal
justice system to an alternative measure, including a restorative justice process or suitable
treatment. It includes imposing community-based sanctions rather than imprisonment in an
attempt to facilitate the social reintegration of offenders within the community, rather than
subjecting them to the marginalizing and harmful effects of imprisonment. (Griffiths, PhD et
al., 2007) For those who are sentenced to imprisonment, it includes correctional programs in
prison, and aftercare interventions (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2006).
Most Americans have heard the statistics that point to how alarmingly high our incarceration
rates are. The most familiar: The U.S. has 5% of the world's population but 25% of
its prisoners. America has the highest per-capita rate of incarceration in the developed world,
one that outpaces Cuba and China combined. (Rivers, 2017). The four-fold increase in
incarceration rates in America over the past 25 years has had far-reaching consequences. In
2003 alone, more than 656,000 state and federal prisoners returned to communities across the
country, affecting public safety, public health, economic and community well-being, and
family networks. The impact of prisoner re-entry is further compounded by the returning jail
population with its unique set of challenges and opportunities. (Demelza et al., 2006)
According to the latest research or information from the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology (2017), since January 2017, there were 131, 923 people who have been incarcerated
in the country. Survey says that Philippines is one among the countries which has a lot of
detainees in the world. In fact, Philippines is the 12th among other countries. (LPU-Laguna
Journal of Arts and Sciences, 2019).One of the greatest challenges of the Public Policy is
how prisoners can return to living a normal life in the community. Seven percent (7%) of
prisoners die inside the prison due to lifetime imprisonment; which means that the remaining
93% can be set free. However, the percentage of prisoners that are being set free is decreasing
while the rate of criminals being caught is steadily increasing (Grommon, Rydberg, &
Byrum, 2012).
Male or female ex-offenders both have shortcomings in terms of education which is why they
find it hard to find a job outside jail. This may also be a reason why other people do not give
much attention to these ex-offenders who they think cannot help in their respective
communities. This results to limited actions of the ex-convicts.
Since 2016, Davao City Jail has witnessed different stories of jail inmates. After serving their
sentence, a number of 81,888 detainees have been released. Most of them were not able to
find decent jobs and were not accepted by their immediate families. The social stigma that
former jail inmates often experience after their release can be more punishing than
incarceration itself (Lobenia, 2016).
The rehabilitation of offenders and their successful social reintegration into society should
therefore be among the basic objectives of criminal justice systems. Legally binding
international human rights conventions, as well as the United Nations standards and norms in
crime prevention and criminal justice, clearly acknowledge this point and emphasize the
importance of interventions to support the social reintegration of offenders as a means of
preventing further crime and protecting society. (United Nations, Vienna 2018).
Statement of the Problem
Generally, the purpose of this study is to seek answers to the challenges of prisoner re-entry
into society.
Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What are the life experiences of ex-offenders after being released from prison?
2. How does the following affect the offenders’ when reintegrating into society in terms of:
2.1. Treatment towards ex-offenders
2.2. Employment
2.3. Rehabilitation Programs
3. How do mental health issues of ex-offenders hinder them from reintegrating into society?
