Ex-prisoners' views on imprisonment and re-entry

Abstract

This research project gathered information from ex-prisoners about their experiences during and after imprisonment. Knowing what prison system users think and say about the system is important because they are ultimately the individuals who should benefit from the prison system. Moreover, listening to them deepens our understanding of what is being done correctly and should be built upon, but also where improvements are required. In the private sector such research is common in the form of client satisfaction surveys as well as more sophisticated analyses of customer views. It is in this sense that this research set out to gather information on the views of the “customers” of the correctional system in South Africa. Although this study involved only a limited number of participants, several important findings can already be made, based on what the customers of the DCS are saying.