Lived Experiences of Repeat Crime Offenders: A Phenomenological Untold Stories

Recidivism is an offense committed by a person who at the time of his trial for one crime has been previously convicted by a final judgment of another crime. From this perspective, the researchers are interested to explore the lived experiences and untold stories of repeat offenders. The study focuses on three parts; the informants’ experiences in the pillars of the criminal justice system; the impacts of incarceration on the lives of the offender; and the reasons for reoffending. A qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach was used in the conduct of the study through an in-depth interview with the informants. The sample informants which comprises of ten recidivists and inmates of selected city jails Negros Occidental, Philippines participated in the interview through purposive sampling using the inclusion criteria set by the researchers. The data was collected using audiotaping of interviews. Audiotapes were then transcribed where data from transcriptions were analyzed to describe the richness of the informants’ experiences. Out of the transcribed and analyzed data, six major themes emerged. The Cry of the Suspect, Light within the Darkness, You Reap what you Sow, Blessing in Disguise, Many are Bad Associates But Few are Good Mentors, and Corruption of the Mind. Key findings from the study suggest coordination and cooperation among the pillars of the criminal justice system come up with a very comprehensive and sustainable rehabilitation program with proper and effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Thereby, recommendations for change are provided in the emerging themes to address the phenomenon.