Reintegrating Experiences of Prison Torture Survivors into Community in Gondar City

Abstract

Released offenders are confronted by social, economic, and personal challenges as a result of incarceration that become obstacles for transiting back into the community. In addition to the effects of incarceration, prison torture survivors with its effects of torture might face barrier to reintegrating into the community. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the reintegrating experiences of prison torture survivors into the community in Gondar city. A qualitative research approach was used and focused on phenomenological research design. The data was collected through in-depth interview. Snowball samling techniques were used. The number of participant were fixed to nine. The data were analyzed thematically. As the study revealed, prison torture survivor who were well known in the city were well reintegrated economically and socially. Prison torture survivor who were not well-known in the city were poorly reintegrated and denied at the government as well as community level. Participants faced biological, psychological, economical, and social challenges in their reintegration into the community. Training, support, and free health care service facility were the available opportunities that support the participants’ reintegration into the community. Based on the data of the study, providing psychosocial support, community service, and comprehensively assessed and well-organized social work services are deemed necessary for the well-being and sustainable reintegration of prison torture survivors into the community.