Africa: Life Histories of Violent Criminals Inform Policy

ANALYSIS

By Chandre Gould

'The lives of the men interviewed hold a mirror up to wider society - and the reflection is not a pretty sight'. This is how Professor William Dixon from the University of Nottingham describes a ground breaking new study on violent offenders in South Africa by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in partnership with the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).

Funded by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa, the study examines the life histories and life circumstances of repeat violent offenders to identify risks and develop interventions to reduce and prevent violent crime.

'We partnered with DCS so that this study would guide the development of appropriate policies and practices, and because DCS is deeply concerned about its role in preventing repeat offending', says Chandré Gould, author and senior research fellow at the ISS. 'The findings about why some men turn to violence can inform the understanding and work of DCS in future'.

The study shows that reasons for offending behaviour come into play long before men reach prison. Although prison programmes do help reduce the risk of re-offending, the criminal justice system cannot work in isolation. Teachers, social workers and magistrates have a critical role in preventing and breaking cycles of offending behaviour by children at risk. Truancy, for example, is an early indicator that something is wrong in a child's life. Using physical violence like beatings or corporal punishment to deal with problems encourages bad and violent behaviour in later years.

Speaking of the men Gould interviewed, Dixon says: 'The crimes these men committed are undoubtedly cruel and horrific, but they are entirely in keeping with the violence - structural and otherwise - in their lives and the lives of the families and communities in which they have grown up. They are not blameless products of a violent society but their behaviour cannot be understood unless it is set in its social context.'

Senior managers in DCS believe the study contributes important new insights into the lives of inmates and can help to inform future programming.

In addition to the monograph Beaten Bad: The life stories of violent offenders, the ISS and its partners are involved in efforts to reduce violence through positive parenting. If successful, this work can inform a policy shift towards social interventions rather than criminal justice responses to violence.

The research findings are being distributed to senior government officials, politicians and the public and will be discussed at various national and international conferences in the coming months.