Prevention of female offender recidivism through vocational training and socially useful work in the correctional institutions of Russia, Germany and Switzerland

Abstract

Recidivism is a rather complicated social and criminal law phenomenon, a special type of crime that threatens the national security of the country. It is characterized by a considerable level of public danger. The society is seriously worried by the recidivism of former inmates. In this connection, the prevention of repeat offences is one of the key tasks of the society and the law enforcement bodies. Public attention is drawn to the prevention of recidivism among, primarily, the most vulnerable groups, including women. In the last decade we have been witnessing a worrying steady trend for recidivism among former female inmates. On the whole, crimes of women act as an indicator of the moral condition of the society, they influence underage crime and have a negative impact on families. This situation requires the development and implementation of a complex of measures and activities to prevent recidivism among female inmates. The authors examine the possibility of reducing the level of such crimes by improving the effectiveness of the work of correctional institutions in the area of vocational training and involvement of female inmates in work; they highlight the issues connected with enrolling female inmates in vocational training programs and socially useful work; they also analyze the specific features of work adaptation of this category of convicts in penitentiary institutions of other countries, specifically, in Switzerland and Germany. It should be noted that foreign penitentiary systems put an emphasis on professional development as a method of preventing repeat offences. The main goal of professional training of inmates is to help them prepare for an independent life as law-abiding citizens after release. Instilling in inmates a habit of viewing work as a basis of their lives is an important factor of their post-penitentiary adaptation. In this connection, foreign penitentiary systems develop and implement programs that prepare inmates for life after the release, which include various variants of vocational training, professional development and work placement. The authors suggest introducing some amendments to the current Russian penitentiary legislation and the practice of its enforcement in the sphere of involving female convicts in professional training and work.