Integrated Criminal Justice Social Work Intervention Model
Overview
Social Work Intervention Model in CJS
Integrated Criminal Justice Social Work Intervention Model
The model dwells on three pillars:
- Prevent crime (Community Based Crime Prevention)
- Provide access to justice and psycho- social care for offenders (Custodial Social Work)
- Support clients through meaningful reintegration (Rehabilitation Social Work)
Community Based Crime Prevention
Globalization and liberalization of the economy has brought tremendous changes in the community. It has increased the difference among the poor and rich. The number of people jobless has increased. Combined with the above-mentioned fact, a new found consumerism has resulted in the increased crime rate. Thus, the local community should work on “creation of right opportunities at the right time”. The main activities in this pillar includes concentrating on youth by providing services such as crime prevention street plays, career development workshops, sports, vocational and entrepreneurship training. This reduces the chance of youth being criminalized.
Custodial Social Work
It is evident from statistics that crime is a socio- economic and political phenomena which will be happening in any given time and space. Hence the role of social worker is to strengthen the access to justice mechanism, namely the first time (accidental) offenders and innocent undertrials who are put behind bars. It is also important to reform the offenders. In order to motivate both under trail and convict prisoners (men and women) towards reformation, intervention at custody is necessary. Some of the activities in this pillar includes legal aid/ guidance to the under-trail prisoners, supporting convicts to obtain legal rights such as parole, furlough and death parole, etc.
Rehabilitation Social Work
Rehabilitation begins with vocational training inside the prison, adult literacy, establishing a suitable home environment and creating employment opportunities for the released prisoners. Rehabilitation will lead to re-integration of released inmates with the society.