Successful Reintegration of Indigenous Juvenile Offenders: Strategies

This essay analyzes strategies for the successful reintegration of Indigenous juvenile offenders into the community following imprisonment. It explores various approaches, including risk factor reduction through community and institutional-based treatment services addressing employment, substance abuse, and education. The essay also examines the role of supervision, such as electronic monitoring, and support-based programs for mentally ill offenders, emphasizing the importance of employment creation in reducing recidivism. The essay highlights the challenges faced by Indigenous offenders, such as unemployment and mental health issues, and the importance of comprehensive programs to address these issues, drawing on research to demonstrate the effectiveness of various strategies in helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society and reduce crime.

Running head: REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
Strategies for successful reintegration of Indigenous juvenile offenders into the community
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REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
Strategies for the successful reintegration of Indigenous juvenile offenders into the community
after imprisonment
According to research, indigenous juveniles and young adults can be kept out of
detention hence reducing reoffending through diversionary means. Offenders with a long history
of criminality face many challenges that interfere with their ability to be law-abiding citizens.
Crime prevention strategies are said to be complete if attention is focused on social offenders
through conviction, incarceration, and reintegration into the community especially among the
Aboriginal Communities in Australia (Walsh et al., 2011). The programs are mainly focused on
dynamic risk factors such as drug abuse, unemployment as well as specific crimes groups such as
sex offenders. The programs are organized at the prison level, assistance based, care programs
and surveillance-based programs. This essay analyzes the offenders’ criminal justice system as
well as the ways that can be used to reduce aboriginal communities’ engagement in crime and
detention.
Reducing Risk Factors
Community and institutional-based treatment services focus on employment, drug and
substance abuse, attitudes, education, housing and accommodation, and mental health to change
an individual or offender. Not all risk factors are successful in bringing a positive impact on an
offender. According to Bonta, & Andrews (2012), interventions such as family literacy and
education, pre-school education, teaching social and critical skills and overall change in schools
help in reducing risk factors.

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REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
Treatment services and programs differ in efficacy hence not all are effective. Some
offenders fail to respond to treatment. This is motivated by the lack of willingness and drive to
accept that they are responsible for the crimes they committed. Secondly, institutions and people
fail to infer enough motivation to convince the offender to respond to treatment. Most juvenile
offenders or youth lack knowledge of such programs, there is a poor target among professionals
and participation levels in youth education are low. However successful completion of treatment
shows positive results of reintegration into the community.
Supervision of young offenders
The focus on the development of aftercare interventions for juvenile and young offenders
as a way of integrating youth and reducing the rate of reoffending have mixed results. Intensive
supervision is done through Electronic Monitoring (EM). The approach involves the selection of
low-risk offenders who are subjected to the process of analyzing the effectiveness of recidivism,
revocations and recorded infractions. Studies according to Bonta, & Andrews (2012) indicate
that there has not been a positive indication of the effectiveness of EM in the reintegration of
moderate to high-risk offenders. EM is only effective if it is used alongside other forms of
successful treatments.
Offenders are subjected to counseling and the development of social and critical thinking
skills. The approach uses the Learning Resource Program (LRP) administered during probation.
High-risk offenders taken through EM treatment showed an improvement in behavior compared
to low-risk offenders. According to () low-risk offenders showed increased rates of recidivism
after being taken through intensive treatment. Therefore, the use of Electronic Monitoring can
only be successful if used alongside other successful forms of treatment. The research on the

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REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
effectiveness of EM is an important indicator of the benefits of intensive rehabilitation for high-
risk offenders.
Support and Assistance based Programs
Mentally Ill offenders
Once a mentally ill offender has been released into the community, they face challengers
coping up. The main challenges include social isolation and abuse of drugs and related
substances. Furthermore, accommodation and employment are hard to find for this group of
offenders. Medical attention and therapy are highly recommended for such individuals to
improve their compliance with treatment and reducing their possible harm to themselves and
others (Skeem, et al, 2011). Reintegration of mentally ill offenders involves the development of
community-based treatment and care programs. These programs are aimed at addressing the
needs, and risks of the individuals. A successful program ensures that the possibility of future
involvement in crime is reduced. The program further provides an alternative to common
correctional means such as the justice system. Forensic experts recommend re-entry programs
such as the enhancement of independency level to function optimally, comfortable use of
authority, giving them control over their life, liaising the legal-justice system and the staff
administering treatment, bring and maintain a balance between their internal and external control
to reduce their violence and criminal tendencies, and stabilizing or successful treatment of the
offenders’ illness (Prins, & Draper, 2009).
Employment Creation

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REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
In Australia, over 80% of offenders among the Aboriginal communities are unemployed.
Once released, the offenders re-enter the cycle of unemployment increases the chances of
reoffending (Graffam, and Shinkfield, 2012). Some factors contribute to unemployment for
juvenile offenders. They include lack of skills and training, mental illness, low self-esteem,
substance abuse, the problem of housing and accommodation, low self-esteem, negative peer
pressure, poor record of employment and no family support. Successful reintegration into the
community involves obtaining government employment.
According to Graffam, & Shinkfield, (2012) ex-prisoners who successfully secure
employment and earn a good wage or salary are unlikely to re-offend compared to their jobless
counterparts. Employment enhances social control giving an individual a sense of structure and
routine in their time. Through employment, an individual can expand their social network hence
developing their self-esteem leading to positive mental health. There has not been statistical
evidence of re-arrest among participants who were formerly criminals but currently employed
(Graffam, & Shinkfield, 2012). However, this depends on the quality of the job. The UK and the
US have shown a positive impact in reducing re-reoffending among those offenders with post-
release jobs and those with no incarceration secured jobs.
In conclusion, the need for the safety of society and helping offenders cope with life after
prison has resulted in the introduction of reintegration programs to reduce re-arrests and crime.
The programs focus on different types of offenders providing the necessary strategies to correct
their criminal behavior. The major focus has been on housing and accommodation, employment,
drug and substance abuse, community and family support. This paper has used research from
different authors to show the success of programs aimed at helping ex-offenders reintegrate into

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REINTEGRATION OF INDEGENEOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS
the community. While some have failed, others have been successful in overcoming barriers
such as the lack of motivation and cooperation among offenders.
References
Bonta, J., & Andrews, D. (2012). 2 Viewing offender assessment and rehabilitation through the
lens of the risk-needs-responsivity model. In Offender Supervision (pp. 45-66). Willan.
Graffam, J. H., & Shinkfield, A. (2012). Strategies to enhance the employment of Indigenous ex-
offenders after release from correctional institutions. Closing the Gap Clearinghouse.
Graffam, J. H., & Shinkfield, A. (2012). Strategies to enhance the employment of Indigenous ex-
offenders after release from correctional institutions. Closing the Gap Clearinghouse.
Prins, S. J., & Draper, L. (2009). Improving outcomes for people with mental illnesses under
community corrections supervision: A guide to research-informed policy and practice.
Justice Center, Council of State Governments.
Skeem, J. L., Manchak, S., & Peterson, J. K. (2011). Correctional policy for offenders with
mental illness: Creating a new paradigm for recidivism reduction. Law and human
behavior, 35(2), 110-126.
Walsh, C. A., MacDonald, P., Rutherford, G. E., Moore, K., & Krieg, B. (2011). Homelessness
and incarceration among Aboriginal women: An integrative literature

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review. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 9(2),
363-386.