Vocational education of convicts: Temptation of hope

Abstract

The criminological, penologic-andragogical, psychological and sociological literature, here and abroad, teaches us that even the most severe forms of punishment throughout the history have not succeeded to reduce crime rates and recidivism. Therefore, the treatment of convicts based on education, training and employment, should have the best chances to prepare convicts for the life after the expiration of their penalties, which is actually the purpose of prison sentence execution (Law on Execution of Criminal Sanctions of the Republic of Serbia). The results of researches worldwide, indicate that the educational level, professional qualification and skills of convicts are lower than the average of general population. Low level of professional qualification and lack of skills necessary for the integration into the working world, additionally aggravate the employment of convicts once they are released from prison. Numerous researches suggest that the inclusion of convicts in the proces of professional training has multiple positive effects on the educational level, reducing recidivism, increasing employment opportunities after release, as well as on improvement of convicts´ behaviour in prison. The hope of ”recovery” is the biggest challenge for the detained and for those who put them under detention, and professional education is emerging as a good lead on that way. This paper is dedicated to the analysis of results of the research on effects of educational process and vocational training on convicts.