Återfall i brott som ett problem på politisk och institutionell nivå. : En kvalitativ undersökning av sambandet mellan straff och rehabilitering inom svensk kriminalvård.

Sammanfattning

This study looks at how probation, client experiences, and criminal policy decisions affect recidivism in Sweden. Gaining a thorough grasp of how social, organizational, and political issues interact and impact the chances of rehabilitation and reintegration is the goal. Three research questions are addressed in the study: First, what are the causes of recidivism? Second, how is probation perceived by staff and clients in terms of control and support? Thirdly, what effects do political decisions have on probation services' operations and clients' chances for recovery? A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews with twelve respondents, eight probation clients, three probation officers and one parliamentary politician. There were six themes that discussed the issue of recidivism from different perspectives, the collected data was analyzed through thematic content analysis. When examining how clients' experiences, political priorities and structural conditions affect the risk of recidivism, theoretical starting points such as Michael Lipsky's street-level bureaucracy, Kingdon's policy process theory and legitimacy theory are used. The results show that recidivism is not only associated with client responsibility, but is also influenced by social networks, organizational constraints, insufficient opportunities to establish themselves in the labor market, and political priorities. Due to resource constraints and high workloads, probation staff often have to prioritize control over rehabilitation, which reduces clients' motivation and confidence. This dynamic is reinforced by political decisions regarding harsher sentences and limited resources, while clients require more personal support to readapt. The study improves understanding of the relapse problem and emphasizes how resources, individual support, and evidence based policy decisions are required to improve rehabilitation and reduce relapse.