presented by Avraham Hoffmann at the ICPA conference, Cape Town, South Africa, August 2000

What right does the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority (PRA) have to turn to the members of society, and ask that they absorb those who have offended and committed crimes against that society?

The Torah recognises that society is responsible for those of its members who have broken the law. As we see in the biblical story of an unknown person who was found dead outside a city, the city elders must declare: “Our hands have not shed this blood” (Deut.) Rashi, a well known biblical commentator asks: “could it possibly be that we suspect the wise men and elders of having shed the blood?” No. Rather, the continuation helps us understand – they must admit that their “eyes did not foresee” – they did not prepare a preventative system, they did not reach out and create a network of services for those in need.

The concept of the state’s responsibility for prisoner rehabilitation appears also in the Midrash (story of the sages) about King David, in the book of Samuel. “And David carried out justice and charity for all his people.” Our sages say that this means that David condemned the guilty and set the innocent free, and if the condemned had no money to pay the required fine, David paid it for him from the national budget. Thus, justice and charity come together.

We have a duty to open gates — the gates to the hearts wanting to be rehabilitated, to believe that “there is no person who cannot be rehabilitate.” It is a Jewish principle that society is responsible for its members, including offenders within that society. This responsibility is mutual — as it is written: “All the Children of Israel are responsible for one another.” The idea that an individual can change and must be given the right to repent, and start over again, is the basis of the creation of the world – it is written “repentance preceded Creation.”

To fulfil this duty, the Israeli Parliament (the Knesset) established the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority (PRA) by law, in 1983, to treat any inmate who voluntarily turns to it for help. The Authority was created to put an end to negative attitudes and hopelessness, and to demonstrate our faith in rehabilitation, based on the struggler’s ability to cope with the difficult uphill climb.

A supportive public opinion that accepts the right of the released inmate to rehabilitate is fundamental for obtaining the needed budgets and the acceptance of the community to reabsorb the inmate. One of the means to create this positive public opinion is achieved by the Authority’s Council which is appointed by the President of the State of Israel, and which is composed of public figures, persons active in institutions and voluntary organizations in the field of prisoner care, members of the academic institutions and of the Israel Criminological Society, representatives of the employees’ organization, representatives of state ministries and authorities such as:

The Prison commissioner, Directors-General of the Ministries of Labor and Social affairs, the Interior and Construction and Housing. Representatives of the Minister of Education and Culture, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Justice. – This is to show the public importance of the PRA.

To promote the local support the Authority tries to found a local public association in each town, that is composed of public figures, professionals, and businessmen, who’s members visit the inmates in prison and serve as a person they can turn to for help after their release.  The authority also encourages and supports voluntary activities.

The released inmate’s problems are multiple and complex, hence they require co-operation between the different authorities and services. Thus, the PRA’s function is to effect co-ordination between government ministries, local authorities and other bodies as to subject connected to prisoner rehabilitation:

The police: The police’s attitude has weighty importance in the released inmate’s chances to rehabilitate. The PRA has attained a series of arrangements with the police to ease the released inmate’s reintegration into society. Among the decisions are: Minimising police interrogations during the inmate’s working hours; Its authorisation to receive police information about the involvement or non-involvement of an inmate in criminal activities; Explanatory activities among policemen and the involvement of law representatives in its activities such as seminars for social workers and inmates’ pre-release courses.

The release committees: The release committee may release an inmates after he completes a two third (2/3) of his sentence according to the PRA’s recommendation that are based upon the individual rehabilitation plan, called the “Personal Contract”. Set with the inmate, the “personal contract” is a therapeutic contract that states the conditions. This program is meant to establish the procedures by which the release committee refers an inmate to the different rehabilitation programs and community services. According to the “Contract program” the PRA is committed and responsible for the application of the inmate’s contract, and the inmate commits himself to participate after his release in a defined community therapeutic program. Only after the community prisoner rehabilitation counsellor, has given his consent, the Authority’s director general has approved of the contract can the program becomes a part of the inmate’s release conditions approved by the Release Committee.

The in-accomplishment of the Committee’s decisions obliges the PRA, which supervises the program in the community, to report to the Release committee.[1]                   

The ministry of Housing: The PRA has concluded an agreement with Ministry of Housing. The Ministry of Housing is giving a priority to inmates in the first year following their release in case they have no housing arrangements but have joint a rehabilitation program. Each inmate receives 200 US$. Up to date the Ministry has never refused to help an inmate the PRA has referred.

The employment service: As mentioned before, we have defined rehabilitation as integration into the law-abiding society. The absorption into the work world is one of the major assessments to the rehabilitation’s success. Many efforts are made in the field of released inmates’ rehabilitation, in their detoxification from drugs, in emotional therapy, and in family therapy, but without any solution in the employment field, any investment may be for nothing. A lack and failure in employment are one of the major factors for going back to prison. Therefore the PRA has developed an employment support program that enables to respond as soon as possible to the released inmates problems as a worker through therapy. In co-operation with the employment bureau released inmates participate in vocational training to better their chances of finding a suitable work position. They receive the assistance of a social worker that follows up the progress, intervenes when necessary, and helps finding work and keeping it.

The social therapy: In the past social workers had little awareness about the ways to deal with released inmates and therefore were afraid of them. Interpreting this fear as weakness, inmates did not accept the social workers as people that can help them.

To change this situation the PRA together with the social welfare agencies organised meetings to change attitudes among professionals, to offer guidance and assistance for acute problems. Seminars were organised for social workers. In many settlements a joint team is dealing with released inmates. The teams are composed of the different authorities and agencies’ local representatives: The PRA, the Social Services Agency, the Employment Bureau, the National Insurance Institution, the Ministry of Housing, the Adult Probation Service, and the Police. These teams prepare a comprehensive and binding rehabilitation program for the released inmate that returns to his community. The fact that the program is agreed upon by all the concerned agencies and in co-ordination with the PRA, prevents manipulation by released inmates that in the past caused the programs to fail.

The Israeli Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority (PRA) believes that rehabilitation of released inmates is possible only through a co-operation between the professionals and the public. Why is it impossible to rehabilitate without the community?

No matter how brilliant the therapy is, if the community is not ready to offer social help, does not accept to employ the inmates, or live near him, any effort of the professionals will be for nothing. At the same time, the volunteers lack the required professional knowledge without which he will most likely fail. Therefore, any rehabilitation of inmate must be composed of the joint efforts and co-ordination between the professional practitioner and the community. Hence the Authority developed programs for the rehabilitation of released inmates that engage the community:

• Students engagement in the rehabilitation of released inmates:
  • Students-inmates shared housing program – called also the 3-in-1 apartment, provides an effective answer to the need to rehabilitate former inmates in an urban environment and within a normative setting, as well as the need for society at large to be a partner in the rehabilitation effort. This program’s particularity lies in the fascinating meeting between the future elite of Israel and the world of delinquency. As far as we know this program is unique in its kind in the western world.

In this program, during a year or two, a young and single former inmate, male or female, lives in an apartment he shares with 2 university students.[2]

• The students also take part in a major program we call the “Triangular Program” intended for the inmate, his wife and children. Helping the family altogether and promoting the beneficial return of the inmates home after their release.   When a parent is incarcerated, the child faces a period of great trauma. University students are paired up as “Big Brothers” or “Sisters” with a prisoner’s child. Together they participate in social activities, have discussions, and form a bond. The student also accompanies the child on visits to the prison.[3]

• The Authority’s Residential hostels – halfway houses – are situated in residential neighborhoods.

• Rehabilitation in rural settlements (Kibbutz) – After the kibbutz’ general assembly accepts a released inmate he is adopted by one of the families of the kibbutz. He then takes part in the life of the Kibbutz, working according its rules.

• Religious rehabilitation in theological seminars. The released inmate, under the supervision of the rabbi, learns bible and is participating in all the programs of the seminar.

• “Friendly employers”: as mentioned before an important condition for rehabilitation is employment. But many released inmates lack of stability in employment and have difficulties in accepting authority. They apprehend their superiors and co-workers’ attitude and, feel they are perceived through stigma. Often the tension caused by the need to hide the past prevents the released inmate from persevering at work. Indeed, when an employer that ignores his employee’s past criminal background discovers it, the released inmate often looses his job. Therefore, they come to work tense and burst for minor reasons. All of this makes it harder for them to become used to a steady work place. Therefore the PRA employment co-ordinators work at finding “friendly employers” who are willing to employ released inmates and co-operate with the PRA employment co-ordinator. The awareness of the employer to his employee’s past and special needs is crucial.  Mayors honor the employers in the city hall and offer them an appreciation diploma.

• The veterans – former released inmates that are successfully rehabilitated – that help newly released inmates, as a strengthening factor for the newly released inmates. Based on the theory of self-help group, this program helps also the veterans. One of the principles in treatment of the offender is that he cannot remain indifferent to the criminal world. Either he will be in it or he should be helping himself and others to get out of it. By helping someone else, his own rehabilitation is strengthened. Through this relationship both ex-convicts will be reinforced in their efforts to change their way of life and to maintain the new way.

Conclusion

Few will reach the top of the mountain. But, it should not be said that he who has not reached the top has not been rehabilitated. We define the rehabilitated person as the one who has chosen to follow the path toward rehabilitation. And, it should be recognised that not everyone has the power and the ability to achieve the same heights, and the jumping-off point of each person differs from that of his neighbour, although many others do not see it this way. A welcoming and supportive community will ensure that more released inmates will reach the top of the mountain.

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[1] An inmates is referred to the program according to the following criteria:

• He is recommended by the social worker in the community, based also on the recommendation of the prison social worker. They have checked the inmate fits in and understands the nature and requirements of the program.
• The inmate has not been using drugs for at least 6 months, according to the Prison Services.
• The inmate shows motivation for therapy and rehabilitation.
• The inmate can attend meetings and interviews outside prison.
• He has a permanent housing.

[2] The main objective of the project is to rehabilitate young offenders and to promote their reintegration into society by ensuring that these offenders will not return to their former criminogenic environment during the traumatic period following their release from prison. The program is designed to enable the former inmate to adopt a normative lifestyle as the result of daily interaction with the former inmates’ two other roommates. He gets the opportunity to form intensive, dynamic relationships with a normative population, from which he can receive support, encouragement, and peer role models who will help change his ways. He acquires proper work habits, and learns to manage a budget, do household chores, and live with others. At the same time, these students can help reduce the stigma and bring to society at large the massage that rehabilitation is possible.

[3] Through contact with a “Big Brother” or “Sister”, the child’s self-esteem is gradually returned. He now has a connection with a positive older figure and role model. In the student, he finds an outlet for his emotions, and a sympathetic ear for his problems. He is not alone. The student also bridges the gap between authority figure and friend. Together they engage in interesting activities, which the child would otherwise miss because the parent is busy or not aware of the need and importance of such activities. To date there are 450 student-child pairs.