Reducing re-offending and volunteering

Abstract

Theme of the article is the role of volunteers and volunteer organizations in the process of reducing re-offending and preventing crime. The main observation of the article is that commitment of volunteers could have far-reaching effects in combating crime in general. Author points out the advantages and disadvantages of engaging volunteers in supporting the convicted persons, while knowing that the fact that volunteers are not obliged to follow strict rules in their work could cause some problems. In Serbia there are no volunteer organizations that are primarily involved in helping offenders to reintegrate, so the author states the example of well known British voluntary organization: National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) as an institution that future Serbian volunteer organizations could look up to. NACRO helps ex-offenders, while simultaneously taking a series of activities directed primarily towards youth in order to prevent the occurrence of criminal conduct.

Tema članka je uloga volontera i volonterskih organizacija u suzbijanju povrata u krivičnopravnom smislu, ali i kriminaliteta uopšteno. Autor uočava da bi civilni sektor mogao pružiti značajan doprinos na ovom polju. No, istovremeno ukazuje kako na prednosti, tako i na mane angažovanja volontera u pružanju raznovrsnih vidova podrške osuđenim licima, imajući u vidu da su u pitanju lica koja ne raspolažu znanjima i veštinama formalno obrazovanih kadrova. U Srbiji nema volonterskih organizacija koje se prevashodno bave problematikom povratka osuđivanih lica u normalne društvene tokove, pa autor ilustruje mehanizme i načine rada takvih organizacija kroz primer britanske dobrotvorne ustanove NACRO. Naime, NACRO pomaže bivšim prestupnicima, ali istovremeno obavlja i niz aktivnosti usmerenih prvenstveno prema mladima u cilju sprečavanja budućeg kriminalnog ponašanja.