Window of opportunity: Social acceptance and life transformation in the rehabilitation of imprisoned sex offenders

Based on a positive criminology perspective and a qualitative research design, the current study was used to identify the internal strengths and external forces that help imprisoned sex offenders correct and transform their lifestyles. The participants were 38 men incarcerated in two prisons in Israel who had been convicted of various sexual offenses. In individual in-depth, face-to-face interviews, most of the participants reported that they had experienced personal and social changes during their current imprisonment, which they attributed to the support they received from sources both inside and outside the jail, particularly spouses, parents, therapists, and religious or spiritual figures. These supporters expressed their personal and social acceptance of the prisoners, which included features of reintegrative shaming. The research findings suggest that positive changes can be achieved under harsh conditions, such as imprisonment by means of exposure to human strengths, thus supporting the positive criminology approach. This research finding may have theoretical and practical implications for the rehabilitative practice.

► We examined changes in imprisoned sex offenders from a positive criminology perspective.
► Positive criminology emphasizes the positive influences on each offenders' life.
► Participants reported of experiencing a change process during incarceration.
► This change was attributed to their social acceptance of significant others.
► The rehabilitation process depends on exposure to human strengths.