Dr Sinclair Coward, former technical consultant to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, has presented findings from a study examining the challenges ex-prisoners face when trying to reintegrate into society.
Speaking at the Annual Research Day last Wednesday, Dr. Coward explained that the research was prompted by probation officers observing the same individuals repeatedly coming before the courts. “They noticed that people leaving prison were struggling to reintegrate for a number of reasons, and they wondered why. Hence the study to look at how we can enhance reintegration into society for ex-prisoners,” he said.
The small-scale mixed-methods study drew on both individual interviews and focus groups with 15 participants who had served more than one year in prison, were over 18, and resident in Montserrat at the time. Prison records dating back to the 1990s identified over 100 eligible individuals, but many were excluded due to mental illness, relocation, or refusal to participate.
The research explored two main questions:
- What challenges do ex-prisoners face when attempting to rejoin society?
- What strategies can reduce those barriers?
Key Findings
Preparation for release: Most participants reported receiving little or no preparation before leaving prison, leaving them ill-equipped to cope with the transition.
Support on return: Where support was received, it came primarily from family, friends, social services, the church, or employers.
Top challenges: Employment, finances, and housing were the most pressing needs, with stigma emerging as a dominant theme in the focus group discussions. Participants recounted discriminatory treatment and a lack of legal or social protection when seeking jobs.
Perceptions of discrimination: While two-thirds said they had not been discriminated against during job searches, those who remained unemployed linked their lack of opportunities to stigma and rejection.
Coward noted that stigma was particularly pronounced in Montserrat’s small society. “You can’t be anonymous. Everybody knows who has been to prison, and when you come out, it follows you,” he said.
Recommendations
The study called for:
- Individualised pre-release plans for every prisoner, mapping needs, strengths, and available family support.
- Expanded prison programmes in training, education, and rehabilitation, including substance abuse treatment.
- A coalition of civic organisations, NGOs, and private groups to support reintegration efforts.
- A public awareness campaign to address stigma and discrimination against ex-offenders.
- A clear government policy with a dedicated budget and monitoring framework to sustain progress.
Coward also highlighted the importance of protecting prisoners’ rights to education and rehabilitation while incarcerated.
Overlap with RISE Programme
The presentation pointed to the recently launched Reintegration Into Society for Ex-Offenders (RISE) programme, introduced in June by the Department of Community, Youth and Social Services in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison. RISE offers educational, vocational, psychological, and mentorship support, with 12 participants enrolled as of June.
While welcoming the initiative, Coward expressed regret that his team’s research and the RISE programme had developed in isolation. “The fact that both of us operated in parallel, oblivious to the existence of the other, is regrettable. We would all have been stronger in collaboration,” he said.
Despite this, he stressed the value of RISE as “concrete action being taken against an issue identified in the research” and said his study could provide empirical evidence to strengthen and expand the programme.
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