Publication

The reintegration of high profile ex-offenders

The reintegration of high profile ex-offenders frequently receives great political and public attention. While this attention, more often than not in the form of negative sentiments, may be understandable from a moral perspective, it raises several important questions: how do such offenders reintegrate into society after their release?

Author

J.M. Elbers, Daan Weggemans en Marieke Liem

Date

10 November 2016

What role does the potentially huge public interest in their reintegration have? Are they really able to "re-integrate"? And how do professionals who council and support them deal with the perceived societal pressure on these former offenders?

These questions form the starting point of this exploratory study. Based on numerous interviews with high profile ex-offenders, as well as professionals involved in their reintegration, this study seeks to address a significant gap in academic literature on the role of public attention on their release. By giving a voice to this relatively under-studied group and analyzing their experiences, this study aims to shed light on a number of factors, situated within several (life)domains, which may be crucial for successful reintegration into society.

To read the full paper, please download the pdf on the right.