A study on young females in Malta – towards a new approach in rehabilitation

Abstract

Rehabilitation in a prison context is not always easy to facilitate due to several limitations in the prison environment. Treatment of offenders has today become an important topic for professionals working in this field, while the important element is to provide the inmate with the necessary skills, providing a safe environment with a positive sense of community is also noteworthy. There are a significant number of studies that emphasise on the needs of adult prisoners and young male offenders, unfortunately we find few local and even international research that focuses on young female offenders. Through this study, the needs of young female offenders is researched for a better understanding. It aims to seek what kind of rehabilitation is available in the local prison context and internationally for these young females. Finally, a structure for a care plan is drafted in line with gender-specific treatment programs for young offenders’ specifically of young females. To grasp the closest identification of young female inmates’ needs, interviews with professionals in prison were conducted. The idea that young female inmates need gender-specific treatment approaches has gained attention from scholars and professionals working in the field, this is due to the alarming number of female offenders entering prison at a younger age (Le, 2013;Harvey, 2011). This research suggests an individual care plan based on data collected from interviews with specialists working directly with young female offenders in the local prison. Participants all agreed that young female inmates need specific individual treatment that is varied from adult prisoners. However, due to the low number of young females entering prison it is difficult to plan and sustain an effective treatment program. While hoping that this study will give a better understanding of this particular group in the local context, it also aims to provide the necessary information for ongoing research and improvements.