Is Criminal Justice Education Ready for Reentry?

Abstract

An important criminal justice issue in the twenty‐first century is the large number of prisoners returning to communities in the aftermath of strict sentencing policies and high incarceration rates. Data show these offenders are likely to reoffend, threatening public safety and burdening already stretched correctional budgets. An emerging literature identifies issues that are crucial to successful offender reintegration. At the same time, new roles for correctional professionals are apparent. Given these developments, this study focuses on whether criminal justice education is ready for reentry. A case for covering reentry topics in the criminal justice curriculum is made. Educators from a national criminal justice organization are surveyed to determine their perceptions about the importance of reentry in higher education as well as the extent to which their courses cover selected reentry topics. Findings suggest that college educators broadly address reentry, although the amount of time devoted to reentry topics is limited. Implications of the findings are discussed with possibilities for future consideration.