Chicago Prisoners' Experiences Returning Home

Abstract

NANCY G. LA VIGNE CHRISTY VISHER JENNIFER CASTRO he Urban Institute, in 2001, launched a four-state, longitudinal study entitled Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry in order to examine the experiences of released prisoners returning to communities in Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas. This research brief presents findings from the Returning Home study in Chicago, Illinois. The first phase of the Illinois study involved an analysis of preexisting corrections data to describe incarceration and reentry characteristics in Illinois (see sidebar “A Portrait of Prisoner Reentry in Illinois”). The second phase involved a series of interviews with male prisoners returning to Chicago, once before and three times after their release. In addition, interviews were conducted with prisoners’ family members and focus groups were held with residents of four Chicago communities that are home to the highest concentrations of returning prisoners (see sidebar “Returning Home Study Methodology” for more details about data collection and analysis). This research brief documents findings from phase two, the original data collection effort, and describes the experiences of prisoners returning to Chicago. In a previous research brief entitled Illinois Prisoners’ Reflections on Returning Home, we described the prerelease experiences and expectations of prisoners in our sample.1 In this research brief, we expand on that information by comparing it to the experiences of those prisoners after release. We present key findings on a range of reentry challenges and describe the factors related to postrelease success or failure, such as employment, substance use, attitudes and beliefs, health challenges, criminal histories, and family and community contexts. This research brief is intended to serve as a foundation for policy discussions about how released prisoners can successfully reintegrate into their communities, whether in Chicago or in similar cities around the country. KEY FINDINGS