Models of Resocialization of Convicted Individuals

Attempt is made to re-educate persons who violated legally defined social norms in prison conditions, an artificial social environment where it is difficult to establish normal social relations. Achievement of the purpose of the prison sentence i.e., resocialization of prisoners is attempted in adverse conditions and in the situation of an unfavourable criminal policy. The resocialization of convicted individuals implies a series of activities, whose aim is to reintegrate into society those individuals who, due to various reasons, have "lost" their place within it or who are, due to some of their characteristics or activities, rejected by said society. Resocialization is, therefore, a process of gradual reintegration of offenders from the criminal subgroup into the social community as a group. This goal is achieved through re-education, as a planned and systematic action aimed at personality of the offender. The idea of resocialization of prisoners has developed and evolved throughout history into various different models. Four models can be distinguished: the penal model, the therapeutic model, the social learning model and the model of resocialization as a prisoner's right. The models have complemented each other, they have been upgraded and preserved in a more or less changed form. In the paper, we will point out some of the basic characteristics of these models, as well as the role and importance of the resocialization of convicted individuals during the serving of their prison sentences