Interpersonal Violence in Correctional Facilities in Malawi: Implications for Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration

Research in Malawi has largely examined the prevalence and forms of violence in correctional facilities, leaving little known about how it shapes and influences rehabilitation and social reintegration. The current study examines how interpersonal violence in correctional facilities affects inmates’ rehabilitation and social reintegration. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, insights are drawn from survey interviews with 214 formerly incarcerated individuals and a subset of 13 case studies. Further, interviews were conducted with five correctional officers. The findings reveal that violence in correctional facilities is shaped and sustained by structural conditions characterized by overcrowding, resource scarcity, institutional neglect, and unequal power relations. These result in physical, sexual, and psychological violence. The study indicates that correctional violence impedes meaningful engagement in rehabilitation and successful reintegration. Further, the effects of correctional violence go beyond the correctional facilities to shape psychological well-being, social acceptance, and reintegration outcomes. Guided by Structural Violence Theory, the findings demonstrate how institutional conditions generate violence that undermines correctional rehabilitative objectives. The findings offer relevant insights into the understanding of violence in correctional facilities that operate under crowded and resource-constrained conditions globally. The implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed in detail.