Understanding the Lived Experience of Social Reintegration After Imprisonment: Perspectives of Former Inmates
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Abstract
The study is situated within the field of criminal justice and social reintegration, exploring how post-incarceration experiences reflect broader transformations in legal reform and human rehabilitation. Within this context, existing knowledge has primarily focused on institutional and behavioral outcomes, offering limited insight into the lived experiences of former inmates as they navigate reintegration within reformed justice systems. What remains unclear is how these individuals experience and assign meaning to their reintegration—how they reconstruct identity, negotiate stigma, and redefine freedom within societal and moral frameworks. Using a phenomenological approach, specifically Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study uncovers the essence of reintegration as a deeply personal and moral process shaped by consciousness and social context. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve (12) former inmates—nine males and three females—aged between 27 and 54 years, who had been released from correctional facilities within the past five years. These participants represented diverse socioeconomic and educational backgrounds to capture a wide spectrum of reintegration experiences. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns of meaning and experience. The results reveal five core themes: identity reconstruction, institutional barriers, family support, paradox of freedom, and moral reform. Together, these themes illustrate reintegration as a dynamic interplay between personal transformation and societal perception. The findings highlight that reintegration is not merely a policy outcome but an existential journey of reclaiming humanity, emphasizing the moral and relational dimensions of justice reform. This study broadens the understanding of reintegration by integrating phenomenological insights into socio-legal discourse and offers a foundation for more humane and reflective approaches to justice policy and rehabilitation practice.
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