Exploring the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Practices of Long-Term Prisoners in Tum Correctional Center, Maji District, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Lack of research and the sensitivity of the area initiated me to explore the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Practices of Long-Term Prisoners in Tum Correctional Center, Maji District, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regional State, Ethiopia. The study employed a qualitative research approach and a case study research design. Twenty-six study participants were selected through purposive sampling based on the data saturation points. The collected data were analyzed thematically. The finding of this study showed that long-term prisoners in Tum Correctional Center attended a range of rehabilitation programs such as educational and vocational training, physical healthcare, agricultural work opportunities, handicrafts, income generation, and cultural activities, and physical activities and recreation. However, long-term prisoners in Tum correctional centers have faced challenges such as inadequate educational and vocational rehabilitation programs, lack of proper physical healthcare and sanitary conditions, lack of counseling professionals, transportation problems, and lack of support system and fairness problem. Those released have been challenged by several complications during their transition from prison to the community. These include lack of housing, lack of employment, and the problems of reestablishing familial and communal relations. As well there were weak support systems from the community-based, faith-based organization and NGOs to facilitate rehabilitation of inmates and smooth reintegration of prisoners upon release. The key conclusion of the study was that inmates in Tum correctional center have participated with in some sort rehabilitation programs but still faced various difficulties in accessing all the programs. So, the study recommends that all stakeholders from federal to local government including Tum correctional centers should improve and coordinate their respective programs to enable inmates to become productive upon release.