International Journal of Education Humanities and Social Science

ISSN: 2582-0745
Vol. 7, No. 01; 2024

FROM EXTREMITY TO LIBERTY: A NARRATOLOGY ON THE EXTREMITIES OF

AN EX-DETAINEE AFTER INCARCERATION
Edlyn Joy Espiritu, John Fernan P. Dayag, Abegail Joy B. Manlunas, Shaina Dinorog, Ver love Gumban,
Christine Mae L. Satera
University of Mindanao Tagum College, Mabini St. Tagum City, Philippines

https://doi.org/10.54922/IJEHSS.2024.0650

ABSTRACT
This study aims to explore the lived experiences of Ex-detainees’ extremities after incarceration.
This narrative research study involves an in-depth interview with one participant residing in
Tagum City, Davao del Norte. The researchers examine the participant’s experiences concerning
their return as returning civilians. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by the
researchers. The study explores their feelings, experiences, challenges/problems before, during,
and after incarceration, and most importantly their realization. The researchers developed five
focal themes from the interview text or interview transcript namely: 1) Lack of education, 2)
Money issues, 3) Regret, 4) Old age and, 5) Recidivism. The findings from this study suggest that
money and partly lack of education are the drives that pushed people to the peak of desperation to
do something illegal.

Keywords: Ex-detainee, Incarceration, Lived Experiences, Narrative Research, Philippines.

1. INTRODUCTION
Incarceration is a long-term or short-term detainment of a prisoner inside jail. It can't be
denied that many challenges can occur inside the prison and when the prisoner gets released from
it. However, ex-detainees post-prison lives do not amount to a life of futility [1]. In any case, it
can't be kept away from those troubles in returning to the general public could emerge since being
previously imprisoned can turn into a tremendous hindrance in one's life because of the shame
related to being an ex-prisoner [2]. Moreover, these people already face obstacles as a result of
their poverty, lack of education, and minority status. According to a study, a lack of education can
lead to criminal behaviour and incarceration, which prevents people from becoming self-sufficient
even after being released from jail [3]. However, a study opposed this idea by stating that a lack
of education can be seen as a factor which pushes people into crime [4].
Nonetheless, educational attainment doesn't guarantee that people will develop unique
characteristics that will turn them into less criminal-minded people. They are just at a lower risk
of becoming an offender. Furthermore, ex-guilty parties who have, as of late, been let out of an
imprisoned setting are jobless and struggle with figuring out full-opportunity work. Disparities in
race and socioeconomic status are linked to recidivism or the recurrence of crimes by ex-offenders
[5]. Research recommends that having a crime conviction hinders ex-convicts from business,
lodging, training, and casting a ballot open door locally. As a result, ex-felons who have a criminal
history may face obstacles or challenges that could encourage them to return to their previous
criminal behavior [1]. However, a study by Maruna [6], cited by Pino, Salibungcon, and Villarmia
[7], found that ex-felons, after incarceration, tend to improve their lives and become law-abiding
citizens.

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In addition, according to Wagner & Sawyer [8], the United States has the highest overall rate of
incarceration in the world. The US has more than 2,000,000 individuals detained. When these
people are put out into the community, they face many difficulties, including issues with education,
housing, family reunification, and unemployment. According to Day, Wodak, Graffam, Baldry, &
Davey [9], reentry organizations that offer a variety of services to people who have recently been
released are influential in assisting them in navigating issues related to employment, housing,
family reunification, substance abuse, legal cases, and personal struggles. Admittance to these
kinds of administrations can affect whether an ex-offender will recidivate [10]. Additionally, in a
study by Kovacs et al. [11], moral feelings, like regret, are those feelings that emerge in the context
of life experiences and everyday decisions that influence our perceptions of the rightness or
wrongness of specific actions or inactions. Change can also be developed inside a prison
environment [12].
In the Philippines, correctional establishments are not capable of holding a massive population,
which results in an increase in prisoners and recidivism rates [13]. The Bureau of Jail Management
and Penology found 131,923 people incarcerated in the Philippines as of 2017. According to these
statistics, most inmates were found in the NCR region in January 2017. On the other hand,
according to data from the World Prison Brief, there were 188,278 people in prison in the
Philippines in 2018. In the NCR locale, there are 31,0431 detainees. Twenty-one thousand three
hundred seventy-six people are incarcerated in Regions I, II, and III, while 29,285 are incarcerated
in Regions IVA, IVB, V, and VI. Regions VII, VIII, IX, X, and NIR have 33,562 inmates; Regions
XI, XII, XIII, CAR, and ARMM house 16,657 inmates. According to surveys, the Philippines is
one of the nations with the most detainees in the world. The Philippines ranks 12th among other
nations. In September 2022, there were 180,826 prisoners in the Philippines: 49,515 in BuCor
prisons and 131,311 in BJMP jails.
Moreover, a research project in Nasipit, Agusan Del Norte, examined the lives of former inmates
after they were released from prison. Their review found that returning to the local area after such
remarkable records is testing [7]. Finding work was difficult, and regaining community trust was
especially challenging. Additionally, ex-offenders perceptions of life are significantly impacted by
stigmatization, which is part of the local issue. This was bolstered by a study in Davao City by See
[14]. It was discovered that one of the primary obstacles that ex-offenders face after getting out of
prison is finding work. As a result, when they leave prison, it also serves as a reminder to them
that their families are already broken, that no homes are willing to take them in, and that their
abilities to find employment are entirely irrelevant due to their criminal records.
Furthermore, according to Pansag [15], an ex-convict observer's coping strategy can help them
live a longer life. Moreover, the bad atmosphere in prisons had a positive effect, especially on
Filipino elderly prisoners [16]. Additionally, the participant may have chosen to become
subjective, to bear the consequences of their actions, to remain busy, and to continue participating
in religious activities to cope with the prison environment [17]. Moreover, one study showed that
a 50-year-old worker was up to three times less likely to get an interview than a 28-year-old
applicant [18]. Chung [19] stated that it is worth noting from these previous studies that older
workers were at least as productive as younger workers; however, the results for the different age
groups were found to be the same in jobs demanding skill and speed.
Additionally, in a study on narratives of change, self, and prison time, Maier [20] highlighted some
positive changes in the lives of prisoners. Previous detainees depicted that while they were in jail,
they were more resilient, composed, and patient than previously before; there's a little collection

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of studies showing that even in these unfriendly jail conditions, detainees foster a more concrete
impression of the outcomes of their detainment [21]. The narratives of self-identified male former
prisoners about self-improvement during incarceration were the focus of this study. Focusing
specifically on the narratives of prisoners as they consider their sense of self and identity before
and after incarceration, as well as their interpretations of how and why one changes while
incarcerated. We hope to contribute to recent discussions about how to effect positive change in a
hostile prison environment [21]. For self-reflection or adherence to a narrative, imprisonment can
provide time and space; a new sense of identification based on promise and optimism for the future
is included in the self-narrative for some. For other people, the self-story is tied in with staying
consistent with oneself, notwithstanding the complicated and complex weaknesses and troubles
that make up jail life.
Both the general public and legislators who work in corrections have remained concerned about
how criminals are supported after release. Since not long ago, a common concern has been
returning guilty parties to society. Ex-prisoners have a much lower chance of finding work after
release than the general population. According to Page [22], a 2002 study of more than 200
Milwaukee-area employers found that formerly incarcerated candidates with nearly identical
professional experience were less than half as likely to receive job offers. As the Agency of Equity
indicated, just 12.5% of managers said they would acknowledge an application from an ex-convict.
Ironically, returning to work reduces recidivism, but ex-convicts face difficulties finding
employment [23].
On top of that, reentry into the community is challenging, according to Li's [24] study. The issue
involves more than just finding work; it also affects the restrictions on access to social services
and public housing assistance. Released detainees, for the most part, secure positions and work in
low-pay and low-expertise occupations like development, food administration, discount, support,
or the assembling business. Ex-offenders tend to be employed in jobs that offer low wages, way
lower than what they have acquired before detainment.
Furthermore, after incarceration, it is difficult for many inmates to find work because they lack
extensive work experience and education. Several studies indicate that about 70% of offenders and
ex-offenders are high school dropouts. According to Holzer [25], the Urban Institute,
approximately 75% of men who have previously been incarcerated have a history of substance
abuse, and a significant portion of these men also suffer from physical and mental health issues.
This makes it harder for them to find work because employers might not think they are ready.
Many employers are concerned about being sued for damages caused by negligent hiring. A
business can be expected to take responsibility for presenting people in general to a possibly risky
individual, so many scoff at employing somebody with a crook record. Employers' interest in an
ex-offender increases when they learn that the crime was drug-related or nonviolent, which is
positive news for many former inmates.
A study about the life challenges among ex-offenders [18] emphasized that most people see ex-
offenders as people who are paying for their crimes by being held accountable for their actions
after they had served their time in prison. However, society is a dynamic environment and one of
the many challenges that ex-prisoners may face after incarceration is social reintegration. Guilty
party reintegration involves the course of change from detainment into standard society. After
being released, offenders adjust to the outside world, enhancing their chances of living a crime-
free life. Offender reintegration is the process by which offenders are supported in the pre and
post-release phases to become law-abiding citizens again. Offender reintegration includes all

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programs and services. Professionals, families, and communities must help ex-offenders find their
feet during reintegration to prevent them from returning to a life of crime [26].
In addition, recidivism is also one of the challenges many ex-prisoners face after incarceration. In
one study by Chikadzi [26], ex-convicts face numerous obstacles that may contribute to their
recidivism, their acclimation to broken family and local area, joblessness, and after-care
administrations are among the elements that battle them, so the crime-fighting strategy is a
fundamental part for an ex-prisoner to reintegrate. On the other hand, assisting ex-offenders is
even more crucial to reducing recidivism and thus implicates social harmony and inclusion. This
implies that this study is vital, which builds up the investigation of ex-wrongdoers in their records
of living and difficulties after their detainment [27].
Challenges after incarceration are sure to occur. This is mainly applied to older inmates who have
gotten out of jail already. Older ex-prisoners are receiving little to no attention from organizations
or government. One support for this is the lack of literature addressing the issues that old inmates
might face after incarceration, as well as the livelihood programs or social programs that they
should receive to straightly live their lives justly. This is very significant to discuss since lack of
support can be a factor for recidivism.
Moreover, there is a lack of established interventions that older inmates should receive after
incarceration to avoid reoffending. On the other hand, there was little to no literature about old
prisoners experiencing recidivism after incarceration in our locale. This discourse should be
tackled and expanded for us to know that recidivism is possible, and interventions should be
initiated so that older inmates would be able to avoid reoffending.
Research Problem

This narrative study identifies the experiences of an ex-prisoner before, during, and after
incarceration. This study sought to answer the following:
1. What was the participant's pre-, during, and post-imprisonment narrative?

2. METHOD
In this chapter, the components of research methodology are discussed. The design of any research
project requires considerable attention to the research methods. The research design is described
in the first section. This chapter also depicted the research design, participant, instrument, data
analysis, and ethical considerations.
Research Design
The researchers used a qualitative design, particularly a narrative analysis approach, in this
research. Narrative analysis helps uncover the underlying ideologies embedded in stories and the
larger culture that creates the narratives [28]. This is intended to understand the essence of a
narrative by examining the views of the extremities of an ex-detainee after returning to society as
a civilian. Furthermore, a chronological approach was also utilized in this study. Chronology is
when and in what order events took place further to understand an individual's particular
experiences [29].
Hence, qualitative research gathers information that is outside of numerical form. Narrative
analysis is used to understand how research participants construct stories and narratives from their
own experiences. Furthermore, this qualitative study involves an ex-detainee who emphasises the
individual discussion with an in-depth interview who partakes in a comprehensive interview
regarding their challenges as an ex-detainee returning to society. As suggested by Creswell [30],

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qualitative data sources include profound interviews and personal observations, such as substantial
interviews using audio recordings and taking down notes. It also focused on the emotional details
of the participant to create a conceiving output and highlight the significance of the study.
Research Participant
This study consists of one (1) participant who is an ex-detainee from Davao del Norte. Narrative
research is best for capturing a single individual's detailed stories or life experiences or the lives
of a small number of individuals [31]. The researchers selected a participant who is over 25 years
old, has been detained for at least six months, has committed a minor crime, can be a man or
woman, and is living in Davao del Norte. Exclusion criteria include having committed a violent
crime, being over 70 years old, and having been incarcerated for over two years already. According
to LSData, a site where people can find law school application resources, a minor crime, known
as a misdemeanour, is a less severe offence than a felony. It is usually punishable by a fine, penalty,
forfeiture, or a brief term of confinement in a place other than prison, such as a county jail.
However, it defined violent crime as a type of crime that involves physical harm or force against
another person or property. It includes acts like assault, murder, and robbery.
Moreover, the participant was identified using purposive sampling. Accordingly, purposive
sampling is a form of nonprobability sampling for qualitative research. This sampling involves
selecting participants with significant knowledge and experience about the phenomenon of
interest. In other words, the researchers intentionally pick the participants [32].
Research Instrument
The research instrument collects, measures, and analyzes data related to the research interest. In
this study, the researchers used a researcher-made interview guide during an in-depth interview to
uncover the lived experiences of an ex-detainee. The researcher-made interview guide comprised
three main research questions that dealt with the lived experiences of an ex-detainee before, during,
and after incarceration. The interview was conducted through face-to-face interviews.

Data Analysis
A chronological approach was utilized in analyzing the narrative of the participant. In this sketch,
the researchers look for the life courses of the ex-detainee before incarceration, during
incarceration, and after incarceration to develop the chronology of the individual's life. The
participant recounted his story chronologically from the time he was outside the prison. He
described what he was doing, such as his job before he was imprisoned, how his life was when he
was inside, what adjustments he made while he was inside, and how it was when he was finally
outside the prison. The researchers looked in the database for concrete, contextual information.
During the interview, the researcher prompts the participant to expand on various sections of the
stories. Finally, the individual's biography is reconstructed, and the researcher identifies factors
that have shaped them after incarceration. The data gathered through in-depth interviews are
summarized, transcribed, and analyzed. This leads to writing an analytic abstraction of the case
that highlights the processes in the individual's life, the different theories that relate to these life
experiences, and the unique and general features of life [31].
Ethical Considerations
Several ethical considerations and challenges have unique implications for this Narrative research.
These challenges and concerns may occur mainly because of the methods used in this study. The

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ethical difficulties highlighted by this research surround the right to perform the analysis,
confidentiality, and anonymity. The participant is the primary focus of this study. As a result, the
researcher ensures the participant's safety and provides complete anonymity and personal identity
protection. Furthermore, it ensures that participants are not coerced into responding to the guide
interview questionnaires of this research study. The study was guaranteed to be guided by the
ethical principles described by Mack, Woodsoug, Macqueen, Guest & Namey [33].

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the result, discussion, summary, and implication for future research based
on the narratives during the data analysis.

A Life Story of Mr. Pablo

Summary of Narrative
Mr Pablo became an asset for the first time when he was 62. According to him, his old age prevents
him from continuing to work as someone who needs money but is old enough to be accepted into
work. Becoming an assistant was his last resort to have an income. However, after five years of
doing this, Mr. Pablo was arrested. He was detained in a lock up for three and four months in City
Jail. Life inside the prison wasn't that bad since he got to eat three times a day, although loneliness
was inevitable since he missed his children. After incarceration, he tried looking for decent work
but failed because of his age. In present times, Mr Pablo recidivates and has returned to his work
as an asset as a source of income.
Narratives before Incarceration
Lack of Education
Mr. Pablo grew up in poverty. His parents were farmers and couldn't support him in his studies,
so he only finished 4th grade. After he stopped studying, he helped his parents in farming. As he
stated:

“Lisud kinabuhi sa una, akong ginikinan mag-uuma. Walay

kwarta ikapa eskwela sa amo.”
Furthermore, Mr. Pablo experienced working different kinds of jobs throughout the years. In his
twenties, he worked as a laborer in a mining company. Then later on, he worked as a helper, he
also tried working as a buyer of gold for a year. Additionally, he also experienced working as a
gold miller for over a decade. All the works he experienced were heavy and were giving him low
salary. According to what he stated: “Katong 21-30 pako nagtrabaho ko ug kompanya sa mabuhay
mining, laborer rako. Pagka 31-44 nako balhin nako sa APEX mining, helper ko didto. Sa
Diwalwal nasad ko, naga uban ko ug buying sa bulawan, tuig rako nag ing- ani. Human diri nako
sa goldsmith, tig mill rako sa bulawan, ako nagaluto. Hangtod 62 akong edad, 45-62 Wala man
tay nahuman, maong didto lang gyud ta sa mga trabaho nga di kinahanglan [ug] grado.”
Mr. Pablo endured all of these to support his growing family. Even with the low compensation, as
long as he was capable and strong, he tried supporting his family with decent jobs.

Money issues

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Mr Pablo depended on 'last' and his pension, which he receives every five months, to survive. His
months of staying in jail left him jobless and penniless; it became even more challenging on his
part because he still had children to support. Mr Pablo's life before going to jail was okay.
However, the everyday problem he was facing was money. As he said:

“67 years old ko na preso, sa una katong naga pa lasto pako

maningkamot jud ko nga daghan makapatad para makaporsyento
ko’g ginagmay.”

Moreover, Mr Pablo has been living alone since he divorced his wife more than a decade ago.
His children are his only priorities; although they already have their own families, Mr. Pablo is
still supporting them financially since they have an unstable income. As he stated:

“Karon mga anak akong priority, ug mabuhi ko kay wala

naman, buwag man sa asawa. Maningkamot nalang gyud
makakaon tulo sa isa ka adlaw.”

In addition, he has a good relationship with his children and friends. According to him,
his problems revolved around money, especially the time when his daughter gave birth. It was a
big problem on his part since he was the one who made a way to pay the hospital bill. This problem
only fueled him to continue doing illegal lottery since this was the only solution he could think
of. As he explained:

“Pangwarta lang nang lasto—kanang walay trabaho akong anak

at least makatunol sa ilaha. Kanang parehas nanganak akong anak
unya ang bana walay trabaho, ako nag gasto sa pagpanganak sa
akong anak kuan raman akong trabaho lasto, illegal. Panginabuhi
nako kay tiguwang naman ko.”
However, after five years of doing “lasto," Mr. Pablo was arrested. He was detained in a
lock up for three and four months in City Jail.
According to Mr. Pablo's statement, he couldn't even finish elementary school. His lack
of education became the reason why he needed to endure those heavy jobs with low
compensation. Lack of education and socioeconomic status can be a force as to why people violate
the law. As for the participant who grew up as a member of minority status, money is always an
issue. This was supported by Zhang [32], in which ex-prisoners face obstacles before committing
a crime as a result of poverty, lack of education, and minority status. Lack of education will
eventually lead to low-wage jobs, becoming money issues. This was strengthened by Padiyar [3]
that lack of education can lead to criminal behaviour and incarceration, which prevents people
from becoming self-sufficient even after being released from jail. However, Mohd [4] opposed
this idea by stating that lack of education can be seen as a factor which pushes people into crime.
However, educational attainment doesn't guarantee that people will develop unique characteristics
that will turn them into less criminal-minded people. They are just at a lower risk of becoming an
offender.

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Narratives during Incarceration
Regrets
During incarceration, Mr. Pablo's first significant problem was paying the bail, which
amounted to sixty thousand. He was at a tight sport then because he had no money to pay the bail.
Due to the financial crisis, his children didn't have enough money to pay the amount that should
have been paid.
Based on what he said:
“Akong problema ato dugay ko nakagawas, wala man ko kabayad
ug bail sa lasto 60 thousand man akong bayaran-
-- 60 thousand raman unta to na reduce ug 30 thousand.

Kadtong wako kabayad sa bail, nagmahay ko ato nga

nisulod ko ug lasto, diko gusto makulong pero maski 5
thousand wala gani ko mao tong gi serbisyohan nalang gyud nako.”

On top of that, he also experienced loneliness and regret as he stayed inside the prison.
The environment was new to him; he had no friends, and his children were far from him.
According to him:

“Mingaw sa sulod, ilabi na wakoy kaila--- akong mga anak dili

kayo muduaw pud. Makahuna-huna ko ug pagmahay, siguro ug
wala ko nisulod ato wala guro ko nakulong ug dugay. Unsaon
taman, pobre raman gud ta ani watay mabuhat, pait man gyud.”

However, Mr Pablo was still thankful that he had no health problems. Moreover, he had
no problems inside when it came to food. The police were also good, along with the other
detainees. Furthermore, they needed to follow guidelines like 'saklong,' in which they took turns
doing the chores. Also, organizations like JCTA and bargaining impacted Mr. Pablo's life. JCTA
helped them reduce their sentence while some organizations conduct bible study; he stated that:
“Katong JCTA ma reduce imong sentensya. Bargaining naa sad,
naga bible sharing sad me. Nakatabang to sa ako, mao to panahon
naka huna’huna napud ko gusto ko magbag’o ug makagawas nako.
Kay grabe, nagmahay man jud ko pero lisud man jud ang kinabuhi
ani labon na tiguwang nata.”

Those organizations helped him cope with the things that happened inside the prison. Life
would be easier with the existence of these organizations.
As Mr. Pablo experienced, he felt regretful during his stay inside the prison. His realizations
emerged as loneliness crept by, along with the guilty feeling he thought during that time. This is
strengthened by a recent study by Kovacs et al. [11] in which he stipulated that moral feelings, like
regret, are those feelings that emerge in the context of life experiences and everyday decisions that
influence our perceptions of the rightness or wrongness of specific actions or inactions. Change
can also be developed inside a prison environment [12]. With Mr. Pablo's claim, he didn't just
regret

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what he did; somehow, change went by in his mind. Imprisonment can provide time and
space for a new sense of identification. However, for other people, self-identification is tied in
with staying consistent with oneself and not yielding to the complicated and complex weaknesses
and troubles that make up life in jail.

Narratives after Incarceration

Old age
After incarceration, Mr. Pablo received no help or any support from the government
except for his continuous pension. There were no single social programs which supported him,
who had just gotten out of prison. That is why he immediately applied to the previous mining
company where he worked in hopes of getting a decent job. Unfortunately, because of his age,
the pressure, and the job's heaviness, he was rejected. Based on what he said:

“Wala man [government] support, pension naa gihapon. Lisud

ning tiguwang nata, wala nay mudawat sa atoa lagi kay bata
naman ilang ginapangita”

His wishes for change when he was in jail faded when reality hit him again. It was not
easy to look for a job because he needed a proper education and was also old enough to be capable
of heavy jobs. His struggles in avoiding doing "lasto” again was all futile because he recidivated,
he ended up doing the thing that gotten him to jail. According to what he said:
“Asa man ko paingon ani nga tiguwang nako, way mudawat
trabaho, mubalik ko aning lasto [ug makulong usab]
mangatarungan nalang ko kung dakpon ko--- pakaona lang ko
ninyo sa presohan [kay kung] diri ko sa gawas di naman ko
madawat ug trabaho kay tiguwang naman ko.”
It was very challenging for him not just to look for a job but also not to go back to
becoming an "asset." There were many reasons why he should continue doing it. However, he
had no other option but to do it for an income.

Recidivism
According to him, he made no adjustments after returning to society. Everything was just
the same; his problem was still the same, and the solution he could think of was still the same. As
he stated:

“Pag gawas nako, wala may nausab. Mao ra japon, wala man
gihapoy mudawat sako kay tiguwang man maong balik ta aning
lasto.”

In addition, although Mr Pablo's children are giving him money and support, somehow,
he still wants to have his own income. As for him, his children already have their own families,
and they should prioritize them since he can survive alone. Based on what he said:

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“Kaya raman nako, akong mga anak gahatag man ginagmay ug
maka lugar. Pero lahi raman jud nang naa koy ako [income]
syempre naa man pud to silay pamilya ilaha, mao lang to ila e
priority kay kaya raman nako, naa may lasto balik lang ko diri.”

And then, he advised younger ex-prisoners and non-ex-prisoners never to get themselves
involved in drugs and burglary, especially his children and grandchildren. He'd like a decent job
if he were still young and strong. He was left with no choice but to do anything to survive.

“Ayaw jud mo’g bisyo ana ha kay kanang bisyoha na wala jud kay
kaugmaon. Kanang uban sala pareha anang kawat nga atraso,
musulod ka didto [kulungan] bukbukon ka.

Ug di pako tiguwang, gusto ko ug tarong nga trabaho bahalag

gamay sweldo kay waman tay nahuman ani. Antos lang”

He also explained that prisoners who committed murder were being avoided inside prison.
Other prisoners didn't have the guts to fight them because they didn't know what those murderers
could do. At last, he acknowledged that what he was doing was illegal. According to him:
“Ang akong kuan [ginabuhat nga pagpanglasto], supak jud ni sa
balaod akong pagkapreso kay illegal man. Hangtud ron hinuon,
mao japon ako ginabuhat, panginabuhi lang.”

At last, Mr. Pablo advises younger people to live their lives decently, for he knows how
helpless you can be if you are old but have no one to depend on.

As indicated by Mr. Pablo, he is already 68 years old, which is preventing him from
applying for jobs. He tried using it even with his old age; however, after many times, he felt like
it was already impractical since no matter what he did, no one would accept someone who was
already old. According to a study, older adults beyond their fifties are twice as likely to experience
unemployment as other workers.
Due to Mr. Pablo's old age, employment after incarceration is nearly impossible. One study showed
that a 50-year-old worker was up to three times less likely to get an interview than a 28-year-old
applicant [18]. Chung [19] stated that it is worth noting from these previous studies that older
workers were at least as productive as younger workers; however, the results for the different age
groups were found to be the same in jobs demanding skill and speed. In addition, recidivism is
also one of the challenges many ex-prisoners face after incarceration. Mr. Pablo recidivated
because he was left with no option; he thought it was the last act that he could do in order for him
to keep on living. Furthermore, there was no support from the government for someone like him,
who was already old and had just gotten out of jail. In one study by Chikadzi [26], ex-convicts
face numerous obstacles that may contribute to their recidivism, one of which is joblessness. This
is supported by Flores (2018), disparities in socioeconomic status are linked to recidivism, or the
recurrence of crimes by ex-offenders. Even after incarceration, the participant recidivates because
of his need for a source of income. That is why interventions should be established so they will

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 International Journal of Education Humanities and Social Science

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Vol. 7, No. 01; 2024
have firm support to reorganize their lives. Nonetheless, a study by Maruna [6] cited by [7] found
that ex- felons, after incarceration, tend to improve their lives and become law-abiding citizens.
However, proper assistance to ex-offenders is crucial in reducing recidivism and thus implicates
social harmony. This escalates that this study is vital, which builds up the investigation of ex-
wrongdoers in their records of living and difficulties after their detainment [27].

4. IMPLICATION
The overall result implies the significance of social programs or interventions for older inmates
not to recidivate. The lack of support from organizations after incarceration shows a negative
impact on the participant's behavior. They want to change themselves. However, they need support
to make it possible to restructure their lives entirely. Especially in Mr. Pablo's case, in which he is
already old, he can no longer do heavy jobs. That is why the government must establish programs
so that old inmates who just got incarcerated will have something to work on to support
themselves. As researchers, there is a need to address why old inmates tend to reoffend and go
back to jail because the cycle of recidivism will not end if we cannot give remedy to its causes—
giving them the proper attention and support to supply the needs that need to be fulfilled.
Furthermore, this study can aid the lack of literature about older inmates who experienced
recidivism in our locale. This can be a basis for further in-depth studies about the experiences of
an old ex-prisoner who dealt with the same challenges after he went back to society and further
the development of interventions that inmates need following their incarceration.

5. SUMMARY
This study attempted to ascertain and record the experiences and challenges of the participants'
pre-imprisonment, during, and post-incarceration. The participant's words in this study stated that
he was mainly imprisoned because of money. Due to his age and educational attainment, he cannot
find a suitable job to survive so the participant decided to do illegal lottery "lasto”.
When he was inside the prison, the problem that he encountered was money for his bail and
loneliness. The participant could not pay his bail. Instead, the authorities inside the prison added
four months to his imprisonment. Also, he misses his children, who hardly visit him because they
are also busy working. After incarceration, the participant hardly found a job, so he decided to do
illegal lottery again.
The results of this study suggest that the topic about ex-detainees’ life after imprisonment is a
worthwhile topic for continued research. The findings further suggest that money and lack of
education are the drives that push people to the point of desperation to do something illegal. Lastly,
the results showed that lack support from the government after incarceration will just result to
recidivism.

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APPENDIX D (Interview Guide)
INTERVIEW GUIDE

1. Before the participant got into jail, what was the participant’s life as an ordinary civilian.
1.1 What was your relationship with your peers and family before you got into jail?
1.2 What was your social status as a civilian before going to jail?
1.3 What were your priorities in life before incarceration?
1.4 What were the common problems do you encounter before you got into jail?
1.5 What drove you to commit unlawful things to such extent that you got yourself into prison?
2. During confinement, how did the participant spend his/her days inside the prison.
2.1 What experiences did you encounter during incarceration?
2.2 How did you deal with problems that affect your health while inside the facility?
2.3 What directives or guidelines did you follow or exercise during incarceration?
2.4 What challenges have you encountered during incarceration?
2.5 Were there any changes in your personality and way of thinking when you are still inside
the prison?
3. After incarceration, how did being an ex-detainee affect his/her life as a returning civilian?
3.1 What were the challenges you have encountered after returning to the society?
3.2 What adjustments did you do as an ex-detainee and as a returning civilian?
3.3 What were your realizations as an ex-detainee now that you are back outside?
3.4 How did you cope with those challenges as a returning civilian?
3.5 What advice or message can you give to the citizen, as an ex-detainee and as a returning
civilian

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