Towards a Retributive Concept of Re-entry.

The article examines the relationship between retributive justice—a penal theory focused on deserved punishment—and the state's responsibility to support individuals released from prison during their parole period. It argues that while retributivism traditionally emphasizes punishment and often neglects post-release support, key sub-streams of retributive theory—unfair advantage, penal communication, and moral reform—provide normative grounds for state-supported re-entry services to help parolees reintegrate. The authors highlight the challenges faced by returning citizens, such as stigma, poverty, and ongoing surveillance, which hinder their ability to fully repay their "debt" to society and regain civic status. They propose that re-entry programs, including guaranteed basic income and respectful communication by re-entry professionals, align with retributive principles and can promote justice, moral agency, and social inclusion, calling for policy reforms that integrate these perspectives alongside rehabilitative approaches.