“The most important thing in the world is family and love.” – John Wooden.
Reread the quote. What is one thing that makes the quote distinctive?
Grammatically speaking, the quote puts family and love as one thing because that is how it should be. Family is where we feel loved; when we feel loved, we have strength.
In the case of Rehabilitation and Reintegration, family plays a crucial role. Long before getting their sentences as offenders, family even acts as the core unit in preventing radicalisation and being influenced by extremists. But, for now, we will emphasise the Rehabilitation and Reintegration.
Here are some key aspects we need to focus on:
Emotional and social support
During Rehabilitation in a penitentiary, which primarily aims at deradicalisation and disengagement, offenders will face challenges. Often, they must deal with some mental health issues (Horgan, 2014). The visit from family members will help a lot. The quality time spent during the visit will boost their energy and give them hope.
Facilitating dialogue
Offenders are human beings exposed to extreme ideas that have influenced them into doing violent actions. One effective way to deconstruct those ideas is through dialogue. An engaging conversation between offenders and their family members can lead to a better understanding of the reason behind their extreme ideas and actions.
For this to happen, offenders and family members must learn about the alternative ideas to the extreme ones. After all, We cannot fight ideas with guns. We fight ideas with ideas.
Encouraging positive behaviour
It is safe to say that offenders are misled. That is why they need role models or accountability partners. From this aspect, family involvement in Rehabilitation and Reintegration is vital.
A beautiful story comes from Khairul Ghazali, who joined Jamaah Islamiyah at only the age of 18. He was part of the team that robbed CIMB Niaga Bank in Medan, North Sumatra, led by Wak Geng. When he was released, he decided to build a religion-based school, commonly known as Pondok Pesantren. He built Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah in 2016 with one motivation: to prevent his children from being radicalised. The school is now attended by children of ex-offenders and non-offenders (BNPT, 2024).
Creating resilience
A prosperous, radical/extreme ideologies-free life is the goal. Once offenders are back and reintegrated into society, they must have resilience. Family members can equip them with essential coping mechanisms and provide a sense of belonging that will prevent them from going back to extremist influence ever again (Horgan & Braddock, 2010).
A family that is united, strong, and always sticking to each other is what we need here.
In addition to those four key aspects, a family can offer practical assistance in Rehabilitation and Reintegration. Housing, employment opportunities, and transportation can ease the transition back into society and reduce the likelihood of recidivism (Petersilia, 2003).
Lastly, family ties can enhance social networks, vital for successful reintegration. Strong connections with family can lead to better access to resources, community support, and social acceptance (Sampson & Laub, 1993).
From emotional and social support, facilitating dialogue, encouraging positive behaviour, creating resilience, and providing practical assistance to enhancing social networks, everything a family can do in rehabilitation and reintegration is considered substantial. The love a family holds allows it to bear that huge part.
BNPT Family Visit: Soft Approach to Deradicalise
The National Counter Terrorism Agency of Indonesia (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme/BNPT Indonesia) facilitated a Family Visit on 27-31 May 2024 for 31 offenders (all men) currently being held in Sentul Correctional Institution (Lapas Khusus Kelas IIB Sentul). Immediate family members were invited, and the event was conducted fully secured. No harmful or dangerous things were allowed to be brought. However, home cooking, favourite foods, or meals were permitted.
Unlike typical family visits, this one was set quite uniquely. Upon reuniting, family members and offenders shared tears of joy. They were given time to embrace each other’s physical presence. After months and years, the offenders finally met with their parents, wives, and children.
The event continued with some performances delivered by 31 offenders. They performed a traditional dance, played the Indonesian tambourine (rebana), read poetry, and even sang a contemporary pop song. The offenders and the family members also gave a little artistic performance. This reflects significant progress among offenders who previously perceived art and music as sins because they are close to Western ideas.
The event was completed with a gift exchange from offenders to their family members and vice versa. When asked to share their experiences, offenders expressed gratitude for the time spent with their families, which motivated them to confront their days in Sentul and prepare for reintegration upon release. The Family Visit 2024 conducted by BNPT manifests the institution’s confidence in family power, which has been proven effective in ensuring successful Rehabilitation and Reintegration. That power is called love.
Watch the video down below to learn more about how family played an important role in community-based rehabilitation and reintegration
References
- BNPT TV. (April 27, 2024). Khairul Ghazali Mantan Teroris Dirikan Ponpes untuk Cegah Berkembangnya Radikalisme di Masyarakat. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YtqzahpIcM.
- BNPT TV. (July 6, 2024). Kebahagiaan Narapidana Terorisme Saat Diberi Kesempatan Melepas Rindu dengan Keluarga. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YtqzahpIcM.
- Horgan, J., & Braddock, K. (2010). Rehabilitating the terrorists? Challenges in assessing the effectiveness of de-radicalization programs. Terrorism and Political Violence, 22, 267-291.
- Horgan, J. G. (2014). The Psychology of Terrorism. Routledge.
- Petersilia, J. (2003). When Prisoners Return to Communities: Political, Economic, and Social Consequences. Federal Probation, 65(1), 3-8.
- Sampson, R. J., & Laub, J. H. (1993). Crime in the Making: Pathways and Turning Points Through Life. Crime & Deliquency, 39(3), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011128793039003010
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