Detainees’ Employment - Between a Business Opportunity and the Social Benefit of Reducing Recidivism

  • Cristina Dumitran Romanian Academy, Quality Of Life Research Institute, Bucharest, Romania
Keywords: entrepreneurship, employment of detainees, recidivism

Abstract

The paper addresses one of the causes of criminality in Romania: poverty as result of the lack of qualification and formal jobs, particularly in the case of those committing crimes against property.

Although there are policies aimed to reduce the causes that generate crime and recidivism, their effectiveness has not been evaluated so far, the only indicator being the statistical one. Contrary to expectations, statistically, the recidivism rate in Romania is increasing.

In this context, there is the opportunity to initiate partnerships between the business environment and the penitentiary system to increasing turnover. In addition, it can also address social issues such as qualification of detainees during detention, reducing anger and aggression by engaging in productive and structured activities, increasing the post-release chances of employment, education through and for work, increasing one's own income for prisons and reducing the risk of recidivism after release.

The article presents the multidimensional opportunities of a public-private partnership, with an accent on the economic and social impact for the entrepreneur - penitentiary (as a state institution) - detainee - society.

Author Biography

Cristina Dumitran, Romanian Academy, Quality Of Life Research Institute, Bucharest, Romania

Doctoral student at Romanian Academy, Quality Of Life Research Institute, Bucharest, Romania

References

[1] Aebi MF, Tiago MM. SPACE I – 2018 Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics: Prison population [Internet]. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. [cited 2020 Oct 16]. Available online from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/30431/1/SPACEI_2018.pdf
[2] Banciu D. Agresivitatea în mediul penitenciar ca efect al deculturaţiei. Sociologie românească [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2020 Oct 18];VIII(3):71-81. Available online from: https://arsociologie.ro/revistasociologieromaneasca/sr/article/view/2010_3_banciu
[3] Ilie S, Tomescu C, Rotariu L. Viaţa în detenţie: sistem şi calitate. Bucureşti: Editura ProUniversitaria. 2019; pp. 186-191
[4] Petre RT. Impactul criminalităţii asupra dezvoltării economico-sociale regionale în România. Bucureşti: Editura Pro Universitaria. 2018; pp. 54-82
[5] Tica G. Recidivism şi excluziune social. Editura Univeristăţii din Oradea. 2016; pp. 102-153.
Published
2020-12-08
How to Cite
Dumitran, C. (2020). Detainees’ Employment - Between a Business Opportunity and the Social Benefit of Reducing Recidivism. LUMEN Proceedings, 14, 240-247. https://doi.org/10.18662/lumproc/ibmage2020/18