Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Oxford International Science Forum‖ (February 6-8, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. - Oxford, United Kingdom, 2026. - 245 p.

81 UDC 1:124.51:343.8 Donii Nataliia Yevgeniivna Doctor of Philosophy Sciences, Professor Professor of the Department of Humanities Honcharenko Oksana Hrygorivna Doctor of Economics, Professor Professor of the Department of Humanities Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine Chernihiv, Ukraine THE UNFREEDOM AS A VALUE FOR INDIVIDUALS PRONE TO RECIDIVISM Abstract. The article analyses the phenomenon of unfreedom as a value for individuals prone to recidivism. It substantiates the paradox of the transformation of unfreedom into a need and a benchmark, as a marker of the comfort zone. Criminological and existential determinants of recidivism are considered, and the latest statistics on recidivism in Ukraine and other countries are compared. Keywords: Lack of freedom, value, individuals prone to recidivism, ―escape from freedom‖, stigmatisation. In contemporary scientific discourse, it is generally accepted that basic categories and concepts already have established definitions and are used in their generally accepted meanings. At the same time, there are concepts which, despite their long history of interpretation and widespread representation in scientific discourse, continue to function in extremely controversial and even mutually exclusive contexts. One such concept is the concept of freedom. It can be argued that almost every person strives for freedom and at the same time tries to ―escape from freedom‖ (E. Fromm), avoiding responsibility or the existential burden of loneliness.