Released Fraud Offenders: Rehabilitation, Sense of Self-Efficacy, and Integration into the Community in Israel

Rehabilitation programs by the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority and the Israeli Prison Service are key in helping offenders transition from prison to society, aiming to reduce recidivism. Fraud offenders, however, face distinct challenges due to their personal and socio-economic backgrounds, including sophisticated and manipulative strategies, mechanisms of concealment and denial, as well as coping with a unique social stigma associated with belonging to higher socioeconomic strata. This study examined whether rehabilitation participation affects self-efficacy, sense of community, and belief in successful reintegration. Eighty-six released Israeli fraud offenders (42 program participants, 44 non-participants) completed self-report questionnaires on their sense of community, self-efficacy, and community integration. Group comparisons, correlations, hierarchical regressions, and mediation analysis were conducted. Analyses showed that released offenders who participated in a rehabilitation program reported higher community connectedness, greater self-efficacy, and stronger belief in reintegration capabilities than those who did not. Furthermore, the relationships between these factors were notably stronger in the rehabilitation program participant group. Mediation analysis demonstrated that self-efficacy fully mediated the link between sense of community and belief in successful reintegration. The findings emphasize the importance of combining institutional and community support for released offenders, with efforts to enhance their self-efficacy, thereby improving rehabilitation effectiveness and reducing recidivism risk. The results support the development of targeted rehabilitation policies for fraud offenders that enhance connections between formal programs and community support systems.