Abstract

LARNER, Sean. Pathways from violence. The impact of community-based intervention on offender reintegration in Gugulethu. SA crime q. [online]. 2017, n.61, pp.41-55. ISSN 2413-3108.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2017/v0n61a2605.

Crime has gripped public discourse in democratic South Africa.¹Cities such as Cape Town, Durban and Nelson Mandela Bay have some of the highest homicide rates in the world.²Most South Africans do not feel safe at night³nor do they believe government is capable of maintaining law and order. ⁴ Nationally the picture is bleak. But at the local level, innovative responses to crime are underway, illustrating the constraints and advantages of community-based interventions. Established in 2004, the Rebuilding and Life Skills Training Centre (Realistic) is a community-based response to youth crime in the township of Gugulethu in Cape Town. Using in-depth interviews, this article presents a case study examining the obstacles faced by young ex-offenders in Gugulethu, and the impact of Realistic's aftercare programme on their life path.

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