Approaches of Social Workers to Strategic Dilemmas in Light of the Global Definition of Social Work » Factors Helping and Preventing the Social Inclusion of People after Serving a Prison Sentence

Igor Hendrych

Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The text answers the following question: “How do the institutional support characteristics affect the change of inclusion of people after imprisonment in the Moravian-Silesian Region?”
THEORETICAL BASES: In the Czech Republic, specifically the Moravian-Silesian Region, there is a high rate of recidivism and, simultaneously, a high proportion of prisoners serving their sentence per capita, suggesting that institutional support for the social inclusion of ex-prisoners is deficient. The theory is based on foreign experience of the theory of social inclusion of people after serving a sentence, because in the Czech Republic this area has not been empirically explored.
METHODS: The research was based on interpretative understanding in the framework of a qualitative research strategy implemented using a biographical approach. The narrative interviews and other complementary techniques that were used were the basic survey techniques: semi-structured interviews and document exploration.
OUTCOMES: Based on the research, we can say that the factors that prevent social inclusion of people after serving their sentence prevail in the given area.
SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: The findings can help participants of institutional support for the social inclusion of people having served their sentence, especially social workers or social policy implementers, to reflect the shortcomings in their practice and to formulate recommendations for improvement.

Keywords:
social inclusion, execution of punishment, imprisonment, institutional support, inclusive change, social assistance