Source: (2000) Paper presented at the Tenth International Symposium on Victimology, held in Montreal, Canada, 6-11 August. L’Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes. Downloaded 1 December 2003.
In this paper, Hagemann and Robertz contend that working with serious offenders in prison is one way to prevent re-offending and consequent victimization. For the most part, neither prison officials nor inmates confront victim-related questions except in abstract terms of breaking rules or laws. Yet, say Hagemann and Robertz, offenders experience feelings of guilt and shame that lead to self-contempt and self-denial. Hence, prison changes little or nothing in the attitudes or behaviors of offenders, and re-offending is highly probable when offenders are released from prison. In this context, Hagemann and Robertz build on research that development of empathy in offenders leads to attitudinal and behavioral changes that reduce re-offending and thus reduce victimization.
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.
Donate Now