ijcs
Abstract : The ilobolo Debacle in the Postcolonial Era: A South African Township Context
|
|
Abstract: This article uses historical evidence to track the invention of traditions in particular spheres of South African society since the late 1600s. Presently the ilobolo wedding ritual practice aligns with a colonially defined social transaction based on a monetary value system. This challenges the promise to “heal the divisions” brought about the colonial injustices of the past. The data were collected employing a case study, which enabled the researcher to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Theoretical thematic analysis was used to interpret the findings. The participants’ narrative revealed that prevailing socioeconomic conditions limit prospects for the development of an authentic family structure in the post-apartheid era in South Africa. In particular, it focuses on challenges such as the status of vulnerable men, a lack of access to natural capital (land) and a shift from the traditional establishment of receptive social relationships. It recommends that relevant stakeholders, such as traditional leaders, community members, and government agencies, should formulate strategies and policies to facilitate the restoration of the indigenous cultural values behind the principle of ilobolo and to remove the limits imposed by the consumerist tendencies that hover over the black African family structure. Keywords: Indigenous, family, ilobolo, vulnerability, culture, township. |
Abstract : The Implementation of Wraparound Model in Israel - An Alternative to Out-of-Home Placement of Delinquent Juveniles
|
|
Abstract: Wraparound model refers to community-based programs designed to rehabilitate youth; characterized by multiple risk factors, through "wrapping" them with a variety of assistance agencies, first and foremost their families. The purpose of the current paper was to describe the way of implementation of the Wraparound model in Israel, named the Ma'atefet1, which is operated by the Juvenile Probation Service (JPS), as an alternative to out-of-home placement of convicted juvenile offenders. The paper presents an overview of the program's background, objectives and goals, as well as findings of evaluation studies designed to examine the program effectiveness, and case studies of convicted minors that participated in the program in Israel. In consistent with previous studies from different countries in the world, it was found that the program in Israel achieves its main goals, reflected in improvements in the educational, familial and mental condition of the treated youth; reducing recidivism; and preventing out-of-home placement. In light of these many advantages, we recommend policy-makers to expand the program, for the benefit of young offenders, their families and the community as a whole. Keywords: Wraparound, Juvenile Probation Service (JPS), offender rehabilitation, youth at risk, community-based program. |
Abstract : Unravelling the “Black Box”: Treatment-Staff Perceptions of Hermon Prison’s Drug-Rehabilitation Program
|
|
Abstract: This current qualitative study analyzed treatment-staff perceptions of the advantages and weaknesses of Israeli’s primary prison-based drug rehabilitation program, as implemented in Hermon Prison in Israel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 social workers and recovery mentors who worked as therapists in Hermon Prison during the research period. The analysis showed that the main advantages described were that the program was varied (included psychotherapy, education, vocational training, and work) and required a 1-year stay in a therapeutic community setting, with intensive exposure to eclectic psychotherapy methods and was delivered in a prison that is organizationally and architecturally designed to serve treatment goals. The primary weaknesses that the therapists perceived were shortages of treatment staff (staff turnover was high), individual psychological therapy and of follow-up treatment in the community. The research suggests that reducing these deficiencies may improve the program’s effectiveness, and it offers an initial theoretical model for creating an effective drug rehabilitation program. Keywords: Prisoners, drug users, offenders, treatment staff, substance abuse disorder, drug addiction, Israel, Hermon Prison, substance-abuse treatment program. |
Abstract : Difficulties and Challenges in an Employment Supervision Program for Paroled Prisoners
|
|
Abstract: The integration of paroled prisoners in employment is presented in the theoretical and research-based literature as one of the principal means of achieving successful re-entry by the prisoners into the community. The literature deals extensively with the correlation between integration and perseverance in employment and risk indices, the most pronounced of which is a return to crime. According to the Theory of Desistance from Crime, it is not enough for criminal activity to cease; a complex process must set in motion to bring about a change in perceptions and behaviour in all walks of life, especially regarding employment. A key program being implemented by Israel's Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority is one involving an employment guidance and supervision program for paroled prisoners. The program emphasizes employment in all its facets – placement, support during the period of employment and supervision during parole – alongside psychological treatment and rehabilitation in the community. Operating the program are employment supervisors and psychotherapists. In order to understand how the program is managed and perceived by its operators, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven psychotherapists and employment counsellors in the framework of the present qualitative-interpretive research. The article describes the perceptions of the personnel responsible for running the program during the period 2018-2020. The findings of the research highlight the difficulties and limitations the prisoners face, harmony and dissonance in the encounter between supervisors and psychotherapists, the dilemma over protection of society vs. assistance to the prisoners, employment characteristics as indicative of the rehabilitation process, and the merits of the program. The article also discusses the contribution of employment supervision to successful reintegration of paroled prisoners in normative employment and society. Keywords: Employment, ex-prisoners, parole, perceptions. |
