Towards an understanding of repeat violent offending: A review of the literature

This paper explores South African and international literature relevant to repeat off ending

This paper explores South African and international literature relevant to repeat offending. It serves to inform a three-year study on sentenced repeat violent offenders in South Africa to be undertaken by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in collaboration with the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape (in particular the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative - CSPRI) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The study is motivated by the understanding that the identification of indicators of risk before young offenders embark on a life trajectory of violent crime, and the implementation of appropriate interventions will, in the long term, contribute towards reducing levels of violent crime and re-offending. Th e purpose of the study is thus to provide detailed data about the life histories and life circumstances of repeat violent offenders in South Africa.

About the authors

Lukas Muntingh is Project Coordinator of the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI), a project of the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape). He holds an M.Soc (Sociology) from Stellenbosch University. He has been involved in criminal justice reform since 1992 and has worked in Southern Africa and Central Asia on child justice, prisoners rights, preventing corruption in the prison system, the prevention and combating of torture, and monitoring legislative compliance. His current focus is on the prevention and combating of torture and ill treatment of prisoners and detainees.

Chandré Gould is a senior researcher in the Crime and Justice Programme of the Institute for Security Studies. She has a PhD in history from Rhodes University. Chandré is editor of the Crime and Justice Programme’s quarterly journal, South African Crime Quarterly. She has published numerous articles on human trafficking in South Africa based on research conducted by the ISS between 2006 and 2008 in the sex work industry in Cape Town. She is co-author of the book Selling Sex in Cape Town: Human traffi cking and sex work in a South African city (ISS, 2008).