The current status and issues of the regional community support centers for offenders: potential of social firms and the importance of understanding and support from local communities

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380807
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Ryukoku University
• Principal Investigator: HAMAI KOICHI 龍谷大学, 法学部, 教授 (60373106)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TSUSHIMA MASAHIRO 龍谷大学, 社会学部, 准教授 (60330023)
• Research Collaborator: GATO SATOSHI 龍谷大学, 矯正・保護総合センター, 嘱託研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 刑務所 / 受刑者 / 更生 / ソーシャルファーム / 司法と福祉の連携 / イタリア / ノルウェー / 地域生活定着支援センター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted surveys on the current status and problems of the regional community support centers which have established since 2009 for the elderly and handicapped offenders. We created two questionnaires, one for each center and another for individual staff members. More than half of the centers and staff members replied to the questionnaires. We found that the centers cannot do any long term investment due to lack of financial basis to facilitate their activities and to develop collaborative relationships with the local communities. In addition, we conducted field surveys by interviewing experts in the area of treatment of offenders in Italy and Norway, especially by focusing on social firms. We found that provision of comprehensive, seamless services from prison to community, are very important in order to rehabilitate the offenders successfully. Social firms are very effective not only to provide offenders with jobs, but also to strengthen a solidarity in the community.

Free Research Field

犯罪学