Features of Meaningfulness of Life of Convicts Serving Long-Term Sentences
Zautorova E. V., Sobolev N. G. Features Of Meaningfulness Of Life Of Convicts Serving Long-Term Sentences. Penitentiary Science, 2022, vol. 16, no. 3 (59), pp. 320–326. doi: 10.46741/2686-9764.2022.59.3.010
Introduction: the article describes features of meaningfulness of life of convicts serving long-term sentences in places of deprivation of liberty. An attitude to life should be considered as a universal subjective formation that ensures selforganization of human activity in the process of their life. Purpose: to determine features of meaningfulness of life of convicts serving long-term sentences, give recommendations on correctional and educational work with this category of offenders. Methods: theoretical analysis of literature; methods of synthesis and generalization; life orientations test by D.A. Leont’ev. Results: convicts who have been in social isolation for more than 10 years demonstrate a lower interest in life and less emotional intensity and lack life aspirations and goals; the time perspective is not indicated. They perceive life as uninteresting and insufficiently filled with meaning. At the same time, the time passed is not fully comprehended, they cannot realize themselves, they are dissatisfied with their life and do not feel that they can manage it. The revealed features of meaningfulness of life of convicts serving long-term sentences supplement characteristics of persons in this category and this should be taken into account when organizing correctional and educational work with them in places of deprivation of liberty. Conclusions: when determining the direction of correctional and educational work with convicts of this category, it is important to take into account the specifics of their attitude to life and direct them to correction, preventing aggression in their behavior. At the same time, it is important for convicts to realize their guilt, focus on their own spiritual and moral problems, and develop a desire to compensate for the harm they have caused. To do this, it is necessary to establish cooperation with convicts based on the in-depth study of life, personality and needs.
Keywords: Places of deprivation of liberty; correctional process; convicts; long-term sentences; sense of purpose; correctional and educational work
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