Abstract:
Recidivism is a major problem faced by all countries in the world and entails
a tendency to relapse into a previous behavior (criminal behavior in the context
of this study). Using a qualitative approach, this study examined the risk
factors of recidivism in Kumasi Central Prisons. Purposive sampling method
was espoused to gather data from thirty prison inmates and key informants
including prison ministry evangelists, prison officers and families of
ex-offenders. The study found inadequate support from family, stigma by society,
lack of job opportunities, lack of income and accommodation as the
most prominent risk factors of recidivism among prison inmates in the Kumasi
Central Prisons despite the important roles played by Christian
churches through their prison ministries. The study therefore among others
recommends that prison ministry must go beyond the prison walls by eliciting
the active participation of family, community and society in the physical
and spiritual care for the ex-offender.