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Article
Publication date: 11 July 2016

Joyce P.S. Chan and Douglas P. Boer

This paper is an extension of the previous study published by Chan and Boer (2016). It seeks to explore deeper into the subject matter, to better aid ex-offenders’ reintegration…

578

Abstract

Purpose

This paper is an extension of the previous study published by Chan and Boer (2016). It seeks to explore deeper into the subject matter, to better aid ex-offenders’ reintegration effort back into society. The purpose of this paper is to expand the sample size of participants from 12 to 25, and to further ascertain any emerging factors (also known as predictors) that influence the reintegration process of ex-offenders in the hope of further reducing recidivism rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative research framework where attention was devoted to understanding the experiences of 25 formerly incarcerated males − 12 participants were from the initial study, and now extended with another 13 participants to deepen the scope of the study. All participants who took part in the study had been out of prison for at least five years and had been incarcerated in the prison of Singapore more than once but are no longer on parole.

Findings

This study indicated three other new factors that emerged with the additional 13 participants, along with those seven different factors from the previous study that influenced the success of reintegration. These Ten Reintegration Assessment Predictors are critical as they further increase the probability of success of ex offender reintegration to society upon release. The combination of these ten predictors reported are essential for the reintegration process, and when put together, they formed the reintegration model.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation to this research was that only two halfway houses took part in the process. Both of which are faith-based halfway houses. The previous study had 12 participants who took part in the research. Despite of attempts to enlarge the number of participants in the study, only an additional 13 new participants volunteered to take part.

Practical implications

From the themes that emerged from the previous study, critical factors for reintegration of offenders were ascertained. With the addition of three factors identified, it would further strengthen the factors needed to increase the success of reintegration of offenders. Resources could be channelled appropriately to strengthen the factors identified that are critical for the work of reintegrating offenders through their transition from incare to aftercare. Eventually, this is done to decrease the rate of recidivism and reoffending.

Social implications

Decreasing the rate of recidivism and reoffending is always in the interest of every government. However, it is often not an easy task since most incarcerated persons will encounter numerous challenges after their release as they seek to reintegrate into the community. Under tremendous stress and pressure when facing the challenges, the cycle of reoffending perpetuates which eventually affects the rate of recidivism. This would adversely impact both individuals and the community they are in.

Originality/value

In Singapore, various initiatives to introduce new programmes and alternative sentencing options were initiated by the government to lower the rate of recidivism. Following from the previous study of 12 individuals who had successfully reintegrated back into the community, seven factors were identified to influence reintegration. With the addition of 13 participants to the research, three other factors further emerged and the study now concluded with ten factors deemed critical to strengthen the reintegration of offenders. From the study, a reintegration model for offenders was formulated.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

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Article
Publication date: 11 April 2019

Joyce P.S. Chan, Jessie H.Y. Yeung, Nicholas C.Q. Wong, Richie C.H. Tan and N. Musa

The purpose of this paper is to understand how digital media technologies can enhance offender rehabilitation in correctional institutions.

313

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how digital media technologies can enhance offender rehabilitation in correctional institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted for this study involving young prisoners who had been incarcerated for at least six months. In total, 16 participants who fulfilled the criteria of listening to at least 30 of the podcasts were eventually selected for face-to-face interview.

Findings

This study focuses on how the radio podcast impacted the rehabilitation process of the 16 young inmates. From data collected through the interviews, three major themes emerged from the study, namely, reflective thinking, increased motivation to change and structured routines. The participants highlighted how these factors are essential in moving them towards successful rehabilitation upon their release.

Research limitations/implications

A convenient sample was used as there was a lack of a more diverse sample to better represent the prison population in Singapore. The number of participants who took part in the study were limited and only young inmates. Thus, the outcome of the research may not be directly applicable to the general prison population. Another issue is that media has short-lived effects and does not encourage persistent learning, it would be prudent to explore other options that can complement the radio podcasts.

Originality/value

The study indicated that the use of digital media technology can effectively aid the rehabilitation of offenders in Singapore. It enhanced work efficiency since fewer resources were required as inmates can have podcast access within their cells. The content of the podcasts complements the overall framework of rehabilitation for young inmates when they are serving their sentences in the institutions.

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Safer Communities, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

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Article
Publication date: 11 August 2021

Joyce P.S. Chan

This paper aims to focus on the perspectives of correctional officers supervising young offenders on community supervision in Singapore.

239

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the perspectives of correctional officers supervising young offenders on community supervision in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative research framework, where attention was devoted to understanding the perspectives of eight reintegration officers, and what they perceived to have helped young offenders successfully discharged from community supervision.

Findings

The five essential factors that emerged are compliance to supervision conditions, education and/or employment, ability to cope and efforts to change, support and environment. Each factor is defensible and had been substantiated by past research that incorporates evidence-based practice in correctional rehabilitation for offenders.

Research limitations/implications

Due to constraints imposed on the research timeline, the five factors identified do not take into account societal-level barriers such as stigma, discrimination and inequalities, which are important factors that can be further explored in subsequent studies.

Originality/value

In Singapore, there is no research study on the Reintegration Officers' perspectives on what they deemed as critical for offenders to be discharged from community supervision. Understanding these key factors may help to shape future research in determining supervisees’ readiness for discharge from community supervision in Singapore. This knowledge gained could further inform and bolster the correctional rehabilitation services provided by SPS and be further developed into a tool that can be used to systematically assess the readiness of offenders to be discharged from community supervision.

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Safer Communities, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

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Article
Publication date: 11 January 2016

Joyce P.S. Chan and Douglas P. Boer

This paper seeks to explore deeper into this subject in search of a new manner that can better aid ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society. The purpose of this paper is to…

964

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore deeper into this subject in search of a new manner that can better aid ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the factors that influence the reintegration process of ex-offenders in the hope of further reducing reoffending and re-incarceration of offenders. This would eventually translate into a possible reduction in the resultant cost impact to the economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is primarily descriptive, it was hoped to find out the philosophical bases of what were was “effective” (e.g. in terms of helping ex-offenders find jobs, the support they received, etc.) in reducing recidivism. The study adopted a qualitative research framework where attention was devoted to understanding the experiences of 12 formerly incarcerated males, all whom have been out of prison for at least five years or longer. Those individuals participating in the study have been incarcerated in the prison of Singapore more than once and are no longer on parole.

Findings

The study indicated seven different factors that influence the success of reintegration. When these seven factors are put together, they increase the probability of success in their reintegration process. Hence, the success of re-entry of offenders after their release from prison is not merely dependent on one or two factors. Therefore, to maximise the rate of success for reintegration of offenders upon their release, a combination of the seven factors reported are essential for the reintegration process.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation to this research was that both the halfway houses involved in the research process are faith based. Thus, the faith element was emphasised in the interviewing process. Currently in Singapore, there are no halfway houses that operate on a non-faith-based basis. It would be interesting to be able to interview and understand the perspective of individuals who have benefited from a non-faith-based programme and are successful in their reintegration back into the community.

Practical implications

From the themes emerged from the study, critical factors for reintegration of offenders were identified. When resources are invested to strengthen the factors from the study while working with offenders through their transition from incare to aftercare, it would ultimately decrease the rate of recidivism and reoffending.

Social implications

Desiring to live a life without crime is often not an easy option for most incarcerated persons after their release as there are several challenges they often face when they are in the community. Some also found themselves unable to adapt to the mainstream culture when released. Problems they faced include difficulty in finding employment, the intricacy of reconnecting back with their families, finding accommodation, etc. Besides these challenges, they have to live with experiences when they were in prison, and for some, the time in prison resulted in them experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Goff et al., 2007). These issues coupled with guilt and shame often resulted in them going back into crime and sometimes falling into abusing substance. When this happens, the cycle of crime and imprisonment perpetuates and the desire to reduce recidivism will not be achieved and both the individuals and the community they are in will be adversely impacted.

Originality/value

In Singapore, the Government has always been proactive in reducing recidivism. Various initiatives to introduce new programmes and alternative sentencing options started to assist in rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. From the interviews of the 12 individuals who had successfully reintegrated back into the community, several themes emerged and factors that influenced reintegration are identified.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

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Article
Publication date: 11 January 2016

Tim Bateman and Hannah Smithson

147

Abstract

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

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Book part
Publication date: 12 December 2023

Floris de Krijger

A growing body of research finds that gig economy platforms use gamification to enhance managerial control. Focusing on technologically mediated forms of gamification, this…

Abstract

A growing body of research finds that gig economy platforms use gamification to enhance managerial control. Focusing on technologically mediated forms of gamification, this literature reveals how platforms mobilize gig workers’ work effort by making the labour process resemble a game. This chapter contends that this tech-centric scholarship fails to fully capture the historical continuities between contemporary and much older occurrences of game-playing at work. Informed by interviews and participatory observations at two food delivery platforms in Amsterdam, I document how these platforms’ piece wage system gives rise to a workplace dynamic in which severely underpaid delivery couriers continuously employ game strategies to maximize their gig income. Reminiscent of observations from the early shop floor ethnographies of the manufacturing industry, I show that the game of gig income maximization operates as an indirect modality of control by (re)aligning the interests of couriers with the interests of capital and by individualizing and depoliticizing couriers’ overall low wage level. I argue that the new, algorithmic technologies expand and intensify the much older forms of gamified control by infusing the organizational activities of shift and task allocation with the logic of the piece wage game and by increasing the possibilities for interaction, direct feedback and immersion. My study contributes to the literature on gamification in the gig economy by interweaving it with the classic observations derived from the manufacturing industry and by developing a conceptualization of gamification in which both capital and labour exercise agency.

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Ethnographies of Work
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-949-9

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Article
Publication date: 3 May 2016

Hoi Kam Quinnci Wong, Elana Chan, Tak Ming Charles Chan, Yung Li and Ming Ki Henry Wan

This paper aims to examine the forms and experiences of victimization of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong, the effects of victimization on FDHs and FDHs’ coping…

485

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the forms and experiences of victimization of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong, the effects of victimization on FDHs and FDHs’ coping strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The main findings are based on semi-structured interviews with a sample of 12 FDHs in Hong Kong.

Findings

The findings uncovered a continuum of violence ranging from relatively mundane abuses on an everyday basis to acute events at the time of termination. Some respondents also experienced secondary victimization from police and/or pending criminal justice proceedings after contract termination.

Research limitations/implications

Victimization exerted significant adverse physical and psychological effects on FDHs in our study. Nevertheless, contrary to common assumptions about FDHs as passive victims, our findings suggest that some FDHs experienced a degree of empowerment, as they found ways to cope with their difficulties by individualized and social strategies depending on the degree of victimization and the resources available.

Originality/value

The findings suggest there is an urgent need to review the existing laws and policies that, at best, are ineffective and, at worst, create far more problems than they solve.

Details

Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1871-2673

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Book part
Publication date: 19 May 2021

Rebecca Strating

This chapter examines narratives and representations of rural Australia deployed by political actors. At both federal and state levels in Australia, political parties tend to…

Abstract

This chapter examines narratives and representations of rural Australia deployed by political actors. At both federal and state levels in Australia, political parties tend to focus their attention on metropolitan electorates in their public discussions, particularly during election campaigns. This has led to accusations from minor parties and independents that rural areas are ignored by governments based in capital cities. The Nationals, for example, presents itself as the party whose primary motivation is to protect the interests of rural voters. Rural sites are political spaces shaped by particular types of narrative and rhetoric. Engaging with how the ‘rural’ is represented through rhetoric and image is useful for understanding how crime is positioned. This chapter uses rhetorical political analysis and representation to understand how political ideas about rurality are expressed through language and imagery. The political context outlined in this chapter is one factor that affects the nature and complexities of rural crime and responses to it. Rural Australia is at its own political crossroad, reflected in the emergence of competing narratives for the bush, defined here as a contest between ‘rural centrism’ and ‘rural populism’.

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Article
Publication date: 27 September 2021

Francis Lanme Guribie, Joyce Twumwaa Akubah, Callistus Tengan and Andrew Victor Kabenlah Blay Jnr

The key to green building (GB) success is to have GB expansion driven by consumer demand rather than enforced rules and regulations. Yet, only a few studies have focused on the…

563

Abstract

Purpose

The key to green building (GB) success is to have GB expansion driven by consumer demand rather than enforced rules and regulations. Yet, only a few studies have focused on the market impediments to GB development. This study systematically identified and evaluated the critical impediments to the demand for green and sustainable architecture by construction clients in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a two-stage data gathering approach. Qualitative data was collected first through an interview administered to 18 construction clients in Ghana. Based on the early findings, a survey instrument was subsequently developed to seek the views of 120 GB experts and professionals with 96 valid responses-returned.

Findings

The study discovered that – ineffective advertisement of GB, the perceived cost of implementation, lack of expertise, lack of financial incentives, illiterate construction market and risk and uncertainties were the top six reasons for the low demand for GB by construction clients in Ghana

Practical implications

Findings from this research would guide industry practitioners and stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding how to stimulate demand for GBs among construction clients.

Originality/value

The paper models and presents contextual realities on barriers to GB demand in Ghana. The study has added to previous studies by unearthing what constitutes the lack of demand for sustainable architecture. The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable information and insight to policymakers to catalyze green construction by actively involving construction clients.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

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Article
Publication date: 4 September 2020

Janet Mayowa Nwaogu and Albert P.C. Chan

The need to improve the mental health of construction personnel has increased owing to high rates of mental health problems. Hence, a proper evaluation of a mix of implementable…

654

Abstract

Purpose

The need to improve the mental health of construction personnel has increased owing to high rates of mental health problems. Hence, a proper evaluation of a mix of implementable intervention strategies in the workplace will assist in achieving good mental health. Although there are recommendations in occupational health literature on strategies that can be adopted, it is unknown how they fit appropriately into the construction industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the mix of strategies for the construction industry and their criticality.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from the context of developing countries with Nigeria as a case study, data was collected using the quantitative technique. A questionnaire survey consisting of 31 intervention strategies was administered to a purposive sample of 45 experts in the Nigerian construction industry. The data collected was analyzed using mean score analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation.

Findings

The study revealed that strategies focused on boosting employee morale and engagement and interpersonal relationship offer higher chances of improving mental health among construction personnel. The study showed that implementing job crafting and sculpting may benefit the industry. The analysis showed that the overall criticality of the intervention strategies to the Nigerian construction workplace is high, suggesting that if implemented, the mental health of construction personnel can be improved.

Originality/value

The study provides an initial understanding of the most critical multi-level intervention strategies to enhance good mental health among construction personnel in Nigeria and the global construction industry. These findings serve as a guide to policymakers and advocate the implementation of strategies to adopt for a psychologically healthy construction workplace in developing countries.

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