Preparation for Release

The Prison Service in England and Wales and in Scotland have a duty to prepare prisoners for release. Planning for safe release begins at the start of an offender’s sentence and ties in with all training, education and work experience provided. It’s directed at equipping prisoners to fit back into society and cope with life without re-offending.

Full time education of 15 hours a week is compulsory for young offenders below school leaving age. For older offenders in it is voluntary. Some prisoners study for public examinations, including those of the Open University. Physical education is voluntary for adult offenders, but compulsory for young offenders. Practically all prisons have physical education facilities. Inmates sometimes compete against teams in local community.

Prison Industries aim to give work and experience which will assist prisoners when released. At the same time it reduces the cost of the prison system. The main industries are: clothing and textile manufacture, engineering, woodwork, farming, etc.

Pre-release Programmes

Pre-release programmes enable selected long-term prisoners to spend their last six months before release in certain hostels attached to prisons, to help them re-adapt to society. Hostellers work in the outside community and return to the hostel each evening. Weekend leave allows hostellers to renew ties with their families. All this is designed to help the inmates make the transition from prison to community. In Northern Ireland prisoners serving fixed sentences may have short periods of leave near the end of their sentences and at Christmas. Life-sentence prisoners are given a nine-month pre-release programme, which includes employment outside the prison.

Innovative Programmes

Attempts to aid the prisoner’s return to society have led to the development of several innovative programmes. Furloughs provide home visits of 48-72 hours for prisoner nearing his release date; they are intended to aid in restoring family ties and in job seeking. The work release programme permits inmates to test their work skill and earn money outside the institution for the major part of the day.

Aftercare

Professional social work support is given to offenders following their release, to help adjust on their return to society. All young offenders and all adult offenders sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and over are supervised on release by the probation service – or, in the case of certain young offenders, by local authority social services departments. Aftercare programmes are designed to protect public safety by monitoring inmates reintegration into the community while making sure they receive needed treatment and services. Existing aftercare programmes are effective in reducing juvenile recidivism (From Гуманова Ю., 2011).

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the main trends in preparing prisoners for release?

2. What is the aim of pre-release programmes?

3. What innovative programmes are established to aid the prisoner's return to society?

4. What are aftercare programmes designed for?

Ex.4. Match the following English expressions with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. a duty to prepare prisoners

2. at the start of an offenders sentence

3. work experience provided

4. full time education

5. below school leaving age

6. teams in local community

7. selected long – term prisoners

8. work in the outside community

9. is designed to help

10. attempts to aid

11. have led to the development

12. to test their work skills

13. the case of certain young offenders

1. місцеві команди

2. робота за межами в’язниці

3. створене, щоб допомагати

4. намагання допомогти

5. забезпечення набуття досвіду

роботи

6. відібрані в’язні з довгим

терміном покарання

7. призвели до розвитку

8. завдання підготувати в'язнів

9. ті , що не закінчили школу

10. денне навчання

11. у випадку з певними

молодими правопорушниками

12. на початку відбування терміну

покарання

13. перевірити їх навички

Ex.5 Read and memorize the following words:

Noun Verb Adjective

prison complete compulsory

prisoner prepare voluntary

service direct physical

release cope short

start assist major

sentence reduce professional

education return social

experience renew local

society design effective

re-offending intend

training

public

duty

hostel

attempt

probation

safety

Ex. 6. Match the following English expressions with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. Сertificate of rehabilitation a) юридична реабілітація,

відновлення в правах

2. Legal rehabilitation b) психіатрична реабілітація

3. Psychiatric rehabilitation c)соціальна реабілітація

4. Rehabilitation agency d) професійна реабілітація

5. Rehabilitation centre e) орган з питань соц.реабілітації

6. Rehabilitation facility f) центр соц.реабілітації

7. Social rehabilitation g)довідка про реабілітацію

8. Vocational rehabilitation h)виправна установа

Ex. 7. Read the letter and answer the question : Would you help the ex-convict and why ?