Monitoring prisoners preparing for release: Who ‘fails’ in open prison conditions?
Open prisons play a vital role in offender rehabilitation and resettlement but absconds, temporary release failures (TRFs) and re-offences have damaging implications for the legitimacy of these institutions. Identifying and mitigating the risk for such ?failures? is crucial. The present study examin...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
European journal of criminology
Year: 2024, Volume: 21, Issue: 2, Pages: 251-273 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Summary: | Open prisons play a vital role in offender rehabilitation and resettlement but absconds, temporary release failures (TRFs) and re-offences have damaging implications for the legitimacy of these institutions. Identifying and mitigating the risk for such ?failures? is crucial. The present study examined predictors of failure in a sample of 316 adult male prisoners in two open prisons in England and Wales. Almost one-third (n?=?100) of the sample failed in open conditions, the greatest proportion (n?=?83, 26.3%) instigated by the prison to maintain security and good order (security recall). Yet, only seven re-offended in the year following custodial release. Absconds, custodial re-offences, and TRFs were rare events. Regression analysis identified five factors predicting security recall. Current behaviour, rather than static/historical risk factors, more reliably predicted such failures. Behavioural monitoring and systemic policy re-evaluation are proposed as way of mitigating failures in open prisons. |
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| ISSN: | 1741-2609 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/14773708231183570 |