Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces readers to the world of prisoner reentry and a felony conviction, and describes the research context. Drawing on first-person narratives, the chapter describes the lived experiences of convicted felons reacclimating to society in order to communicate the concept of social disability. A felony conviction and prisoner reentry straddle multiple disciplinary perspectives; therefore, an interdisciplinary framework is established to link history, politics, race, and public policies to convey the layered reality of a felony and its distinct socially disabling consequences. Weaving together racialized policies, such as the War on Drugs, with details about the sheer number of felons living in numerous communities across the country, this chapter lays the foundation for the book by describing who is locked up and who reenters society. Additionally, main concepts are introduced to emphasize the underlying argument that a felony conviction is a socially disabling construct that is based on punitive tough-on-crime policies.