Abstract:
The study on Fear on Decision-making of Recidivism Prisoners to Recommit in Drug Cases aims to examine the factors that have influenced the fear on decision-making of recidivism prisoners, and the types of fear that have influenced the decision-making process of recidivism prisoners to recommit in drug cases. The results of this study will be a practice guideline for prisoners and ex-convicts to prevent the recidivism. This study is the qualitative research by means of in-depth interview and the informants were selected by the purposive sampling. The key informants included 9 recidivism prisoners in Minburi Remand Prison. The findings showed that: 1) factors influencing decision-making of recidivism prisoners in drug cases included the background factors, e.g. family, education, environment, association with friends, occupation, and income; psychological factors, e.g. thought before committing offences and isolation; and social factors, e.g. social pressure, social bond, experience of prison life, experiences of life after being released from prison before recidivism and stigmatization. 2) Types of fear most influencing decision-making of recidivism prisoners in drug cases were the fear of losing ego, fear of life loss, fear of being neglected, and fear of losing freedom. However, the fear of deformation did not influence the decision of recidivism in drug cases. This study suggests the practice guideline for prisoners and ex-convicts as described below. Various factors, e.g. family, religion, occupation, and income, should be used to promote and improve the prisoners behavior. The local communities should be involved in supporting the return of good people to the society, and in reducing the obstacles arousing the fear of decision-making on recidivism, e.g. social pressure, stigmatization so that the prisoners and ex-convicts will be able to cope with their fear of decision-making on recidivism properly.