TY - JOUR
T1 - The Mark of an Ex-Prisoner
T2 - Perceived Discrimination and Self-Stigma of Young Men after Prison in Hong Kong
AU - Chui, Wing Hong
AU - Cheng, Kevin Kwok Yin
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Dr. Michael Adorjan and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments on earlier versions of the article. They gratefully acknowledge the assistance and support from social workers of various nongovernmental organizations for making this small-scale study possible. This does not imply these nongovernmental organizations’ endorsement or concurrence with statements or conclusions contained therein. Finally, this study is financially supported by a small-scale research grant of The University of Hong Kong.
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - The stigma of being an ex-prisoner can lead to self-stigmatizing beliefs and hinder reintegration. For young ex-prisoners, this is particularly challenging as they need not only to transition from prison to society but from adolescence to adulthood. This study explores the experiences of discrimination and self-stigma of 16 young men recently released from Hong Kong prisons. Drawing on qualitative in-depth interviews, it reveals that participants perceived themselves as facing discrimination, mainly from prospective employers. Self-stigma was more salient with regard to lower self-worth and shame and embarrassment. Most adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" strategy in disclosing their identity as ex-prisoners. As very little research has been conducted on the experiences of returning offenders in Hong Kong, this study highlights the challenges of reentry.
AB - The stigma of being an ex-prisoner can lead to self-stigmatizing beliefs and hinder reintegration. For young ex-prisoners, this is particularly challenging as they need not only to transition from prison to society but from adolescence to adulthood. This study explores the experiences of discrimination and self-stigma of 16 young men recently released from Hong Kong prisons. Drawing on qualitative in-depth interviews, it reveals that participants perceived themselves as facing discrimination, mainly from prospective employers. Self-stigma was more salient with regard to lower self-worth and shame and embarrassment. Most adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" strategy in disclosing their identity as ex-prisoners. As very little research has been conducted on the experiences of returning offenders in Hong Kong, this study highlights the challenges of reentry.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876312416&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01639625.2013.766532
DO - 10.1080/01639625.2013.766532
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84876312416
SN - 0163-9625
VL - 34
SP - 671
EP - 684
JO - Deviant Behavior
JF - Deviant Behavior
IS - 8
ER -