Problems of Post-penal Measures in the German Democratic Republic (From Troisieme seminaire regional du CICC en Europe centrale, 1976, V 1 - Les mesures post-penales, P 193-200, Alice Parizeau, ed. - See NCJ-70486)

• NCJ Number: 70498
• Author(s): H Buchholz; H Szkibik
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: French
• Country: Canada

Annotation

Types and effectiveness of postrelease measures for ex-convicts in the German Democratic Republic are explored.

Abstract

Despite drops in crime rates and reductions in the number of prison sentences, the 1968 law on the execution of penalties recognized the need for resocialization measures to supplement prison sentences. Measures for social reintegration have thus been established in laws of 1968, 1969, and 1974. According to these laws, local communities are responsible for supplying exconvicts with adequate housing and employment, if necessary, and are in charge of rehabilitation efforts. A great deal of the responsibility for social reintegration falls on work groups and businesses, which help integrate the releasee into the working situation. Often the union assists, contacting incarcerated offenders even prior to release. Revisions in 1974 to the 1968 penal code prohibit job changes by releasees and their association with certain persons, and provide for compensation services and involvement of work groups in releasee supervision. The same rules apply for probationers and parolees. Rehabilitation is also dependent on such factors as individual personality, family cooperation, and integration in a work group. The first weeks and months after release are crucial to the success of rehabilitation: in this period the releasee must be given a reason to live if the vicious circle offense-prison-offense is to be broken. Unfortunately, recidivists frequently lack the training for an interesting job with a supportive work group, their family life is unstable, and they do not have a pleasant apartment so that they are driven to spend a good deal of time on the street. Numerous actions and initiatives provide for treatment on an individual basis by carefully studying each set of records. Important for rehabilitation of delinquents with psychological anomalies are the will to live, help in setting objectives, and organization of daily activities and leisure time. However, material, cultural, and educational conditions contributing to psychological anomalies of social origin cannot be removed entirely until socialism is transformed into communism. A few notes are supplied.