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56 Prison J. 2 (1976)

handle is hein.journals/prsjrnl56 and id is 1 raw text is: Editorial Aftercare is not a new concept nor even a new word, as is evi- (lent from the articles in this issue of The Prison Journal. Obviously, as applied to those leaving prisons, it flows from the medical model, and implies that where the institution has essentially cured the of- fender, after-care is a kind of mopping up effort. To the contrary, however, the study of aftercare services and the process of working with ex-offenders, produces the most severe indict- ment of prisons. Aftercare has become a necessity, primarily to undo the devastating harm that we have inflicted on the prisoner during his incarceration. Transitional programs, such as community service centers, work release, halfway houses, parole. and re-entry counseling services must develop employment opportunities because prison has aborted previous jobs. They must teach work habits and disciplines because prison has been a life of idleness. They must set up new social networks for clients because prison has broken relationships with family, friends and other associates. They must counsel on appropri- ate lifestyles and social skills because isolation from the community and the prison sub-culture has kept them out-of-touch, and has re- moved them from normal interpersonal relationships. They must develop motivation because prison discourages an internal locus of control. They must re-integrate the ex-offender with the community because prison has built up hostilities toward social structures. This is really an impossible task. The scars of a prison experience are deep and long lasting. Even with unlimited resources it is improb- able that aftercare agencies could fully rehabilitate their clients. Yet, the resources available are so minimal that spectacular successes wil be few. Generally, community services spend about 57 of the cost of incarceration, so we should not be surprised when these produce dis- appointing results. On the other hand, aftercare services, though in- adequate, often have made some contribution to the ex-offender's reintegration into the community. One phenomenon in the field of aftercare has been the shift in service delivery from the private to the governmental sector. In some countries, this shift has resulted in the absorption of private agencies into departments of correction or into parole and probation. Thi4 in itself raises some serious questions about the unique role and future of private agencies-a subject to be considered in a forthcoming issue of the Journal. R. A. D.

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