Sports and Recreational Activities as a Means of Reintegration of Female Convicts

Igrački, Jasmina (2024) Sports and Recreational Activities as a Means of Reintegration of Female Convicts. In: International scientific conference “Life in prison: criminological, penological, psychological, sociological, legal, security, and medical issues”, Institute of criminological and sociological research, Belgrade December 2 and 3, 2024. Institute of criminological and sociological research, Belgrade, pp. 451-462. ISBN 978-86-80756-73-8

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Abstract

The male-to-female ratio in the prison system is disproportionate. The number of women serving prison sentences is small compared to men. Women make up 10%–15% of the global prison population, while in Serbia the figure stands at 4.2%. This fact is of significant importance because facilities for women are allocated far fewer resources than those for men, resulting in much worse conditions in female correctional facilities. The short-term and longterm benefits of physical activity are numerous, both for mental and physical health. However, there has been little research assessing the levels of physical activity among women sentenced to imprisonment. For instance, in the United Kingdom, 48% of women in female prisons participated in physical activities on average. In Australia, half of female prisoners reported engaging in daily exercise. In a French prison, 60% of women were minimally or highly active, while 57% of women in Canadian prisons engaged in some form of physical activity. According to research conducted in Serbia in 2021, in the Correctional Facility for Women in Požarevac, 51 women played basketball and volleyball, while 14 played chess across all wards (open, semi-open, and closed). By 2023, the situation had significantly improved, with the highest interest recorded in aerobics (87 individuals), volleyball (70 individuals), and table tennis (40 individuals), while interest in chess was the lowest (4 individuals). International legislation stipulates that prisoners, although deprived of their freedom during their sentence, should not lose other rights, including the right to engage in sports and physical activities, the possibility of education, retraining, and other activities offered by the prison itself. Research indicates that sport contributes not only to improved physical health but also to the social integration of those who engage in it.

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