Reentry and Reintegration of Convicted Genocide Perpetrators

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One hundred and forty-seven countries have outlawed genocide since it became a crime of international law, and hundreds of thousands of people -- from Cambodia to Rwanda to Bosnia-Herzegovina -- have been found guilty of genocide, served prison sentences, and returned home. While much research has assessed why genocide happens, no studies have examined how those convicted of genocidal crimes reenter and reintegrate into their communities upon completion of their sentences. Accordingly, this study will interview people convicted of genocidal crimes in Rwanda and will follow them for a two-year period as they leave prison and return home to their communities. Understanding how genocides end and how peace is subsequently produced and reinforced is vital to preventing additional violence. Findings will be widely disseminated to academic, governmental, and public audiences, such as the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. This project asks two main questions to contribute to literature on prisoner reentry and reintegration, genocide, and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration processes in the aftermath of mass violence. First, how do we theorize the process of prisoner reentry and reintegration in the context of genocide? Second, what obstacles do convicted genocidaires face as they reenter society, and what are the individual, family, community, and state-level factors that are associated with successful reintegration? To address these questions, the project will employ a case study of Rwanda, where hundreds of thousands of civilians were convicted of participating in the 1994 genocide and are now returning home. The PI will interview 250 of these convicted genocidaires at four times throughout their reintegration processes. This longitudinal design will enable an examination of the processes of peacebuilding at local levels over time.