English abstract
This study is aimed at identifying the social characteristics of the families of prisoners and monitors the most important social problems faced by these families, and to identify methods of care provided by community organizations for families of prisoners and come up with recommendations and proposals to contribute to the development of methods of care and aftercare for these families. In his study, the researcher adopted the descriptive approach by surveying sixty (60) prisoners' families benefiting from the government social security scheme in the Muscat Governate,
The sixty families are distributed in the six main cities in Muscat which are; Muscat, Mattrah, Bousher, Al-Amrat, Quryat and Seeb. In addition the study included 14 experts on the social work, both in the government and private sectors. The study was based on questionnaires distributed to the families benefiting from the social security program. Furthermore, the researcher conducted personal interviews with all the 14 social work experts and by reviewing a number of records an agreements.
The study arrived at important findings some of which are:
1. Most of the families of inmates suffer from a decline in the standard of living compared to their standard of living before the imprisonment of the breadwinner.
2. Most families are living in rented houses and facing financial difficulties in paying the monthly rent, as a result of the decline in the income.
3. The family of the inmate is faced with multiple negative social effects, including isolation and lack of socialization with surrounding, the exacerbation of differences in the family, breakdown in the marriages, divorces, exposure to insult, or ostracism by the surrounding environment.
4. Some of the children suffer from decline in the level of academic performance.
5. The study shows deterioration in the relationship between the prisoner's family and relatives up to complete boycott.
6. Results show that the imprisonment of the husband leads to several manifestations of psychological vulnerability that affects his wife and children due to the family transmission to difficult and different social conditions.
The study has been able to produce a set of recommendations and proposals which contribute to the development of social welfare programs and aftercare for release and their families, as well as stimulating individuals and institutions of civil society to participate with government efforts to help these families cope with economic and social problems.
