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<ns3:p>Introduction: Since the beginning of penitentiary rehabilitation, working with convicts has been treated as influencing them in such a way as to reduce all their deficits. Relatively recently, in line with the direction of changes in psychology and pedagogy, researchers have begun to pay attention to the resources of the human being, including the socially maladjusted one. Still, most studies treat him as a person with low potential. His or her behaviour is not analysed in similar terms to the behaviour of a person who remains at liberty. The author of this article has attempted to present persons deprived of liberty as those who, beyond the expected sense of guilt and shame, feel the harm they have suffered. The innovation of the study lies precisely in looking at the offender from a completely different perspective. The aim of the study was therefore to determine the intensity of forgiveness of harm experienced by first-time and recidivist prisoners.Research methodology: An original study was conducted in a group of 220 convicts, using the diagnostic survey method, the questionnaire technique and three research tools: Emotional Forgiveness Scale and Forgiveness Decision Scale, and a self-administered survey questionnaire. Results, conclusions: It was found that convicts are at different stages of the forgiveness process, but need it like any other person. The results of the study indicate that there are no differences in the intensity of emotional and decision forgiveness between first-time and recidivist prisoners and that further in-depth research in this area is needed.Implications: The results of the study obtained represent an attempt to transcend the stereotypical image of the prisoner, which in the future may have a significant impact on changing the direction of considerations in criminal law and criminology, including victimology.</ns3:p>