Social Curators in the Struggle Against Recidivism (From Troisieme seminaire regional du CICC en Europe centrale, 1976, V 1 - Les mesures post-penales, P 163-169, Alice Parizeau, ed. - See NCJ-70486)

• NCJ Number: 70495
• Author(s): J Wasik
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: French
• Country: Canada

Annotation

The characteristics and work of social guardians, social workers or probation officers attached to the court in Poland, are outlined.

Abstract

Data derive from a study at the Center for Law and Prison Policy of the Wroclaw Institute of Criminology. Of the 258 recidivists under protective supervision examined, 12.8 percent were supervised by professional guardians and 87.2 percent by social guardians (i.e., volunteers). Professional guardians devote most of their attention to probationers and parolees rather than to individuals placed in postrelease protective circumstances. Social guardians are predominantly male (73.3 percent) and around 46 years old, or at least older than their recidivist charges. They should possess experience in life, knowledge, and social authority. Most socal guardians (69.8 percent) have a secondary education, and they are expected to have a minimum of 2 to 3 years experience with probationers or parolees. Most belong to the intellectual groups. Foremen-guardians help the releasees in their charge adjust to their work and encourage cooperation among workers. In this way recidivists learn regular working habits, coexistence in society, the importance of social esteem, and respect for authority. Factors most conducive to rehabilitation during protective supervision are a salaried job, positive family relationships, frequent contacts with the guardian, distance from the criminal milieu, treatment for alcoholism, lodgings, rapid placement under protective supervision, and progress in reeducation while in prison. Preliminary statistics indicate that protective supervision is still in progress after 2 years in 81 percent of the cases, 2 percent of the cases have been interrupted, 10 percent have ended in partial failure, and 7 percent are complete failures. Recidivism is most likely to occur in the first or second year out of prison; if recidivism does not occur then, it is not likely. In any case, the rate of readaptation would appear to be higher than the readaptation rate for individuals released from prison without protective supervision. For the most favorable results, the function of social guardians must still be improved.