Prisoner Reentry Programs Research Articles

Got Faith? - An in-depth analysis and review of five faith-based prisoner reentry programs in Florida

In the United States, prisoner reentry programs are a necessity to re-integrate back into society and are of two types: Faith and Non-Faith. With increased emphasis placed on reforming the criminal justice system policies due to Black Lives Matter and other non-profits actively working to change the system from the outside, reentry programs are having a resurgence of interest for effective public policy. There are significant barriers for major policies at the state, local, and federal to be alleviated, nevertheless, our research wanted to consider the effectiveness of five faith-based, male-only reentry programs in central Florida. Small focus groups were utilized to better understand the concerns and issues returning inmates faced in the program as well as when returning to society. Reentry participants were found to have high confidence in the success of their participation in their faith-based program’s efforts on their personal and family growth.

Criminal or Terrorist?: Fear, Bias, and Public Support for Prisoner Reentry Programs

ABSTRACT The potential threat posed by returning and repatriated foreign fighters and the upcoming release of homegrown violent extremists from prisons in developed democracies has raised interest in terrorist rehabilitation programs. Few studies, however, systematically examine how the public views such programs. Drawing on research on public attitudes toward prisoner reentry in criminology and social psychological theory, this study offers a series of hypotheses about support for rehabilitation programming for terrorist offenders. These hypotheses are then tested through a survey experiment on a nationally representative sample of 1,021 adult citizens in the United States. The results show that the public is less supportive of postrelease rehabilitation programming for terrorists than other criminal offenders. Support is also lower when an Islamist, rather than a white nationalist, offender is referenced. Support increases when a referenced Islamist is described as a juvenile convicted of a less serious offense. Men, younger individuals, those with some college education, and self-identified liberals are more likely to support terrorist rehabilitation programming. Finally, irrespective of treatment, respondents are most likely to cite evidence of effectiveness as the factor that would increase their support for rehabilitation programming.

Got Faith? - An in-Depth Analysis and Review of Five Faith-Based Prisoner Reentry Programs in Florida

Got Faith? - An in-Depth Analysis and Review of Five Faith-Based Prisoner Reentry Programs in Florida

A Roof Over Their Heads: Housing Public Policies for Returning Inmates

Returning from prison can be a daunting experience and a difficult adjustment for anyone. Prisoner reentry programs are needed for public policies advocating for a new approach to an old problem: How do recently released inmates successfully reenter society once they have served their societal debt? There are tremendous obstacles to reentering society, yet housing is among the most pressing reentry problems to solve. In our research, we discuss and consider the public policy issue most pertinent to successful reentry, affordable, and available housing as a necessity for returning inmates. Housing is key to solving even a tiny part of a much bigger problem in criminal justice public policy circles: the public management of crime in America.

Which prisoner reentry programs work? Replicating and extending analyses of three RCTs

Conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) can be an ideal way to avoid omitted variable and selection biases that complicate other research designs. However, the way that the data from an RCT are collected and analyzed can unintentionally reintroduce those biases. In this study we replicate and extend the analyses of data from three RCTs related to prisoner reentry, to more cleanly identify the causal effects of treatment. In two of the three experiments, our conclusions differ substantially from those of the original studies. We discuss best practices for running and analyzing RCTs, and consider our extension results in the context of the prisoner reentry literature.

Intervention development study of the five-key model for reentry: An evidence-driven prisoner reentry intervention

Over the past decade and a half, substantial resources were poured into the development of prisoner reentry programs. However, the excitement that surrounded the initial roll out of reentry programs has begun to wane from a lack of substantive change to the number of individuals who return to prison. Therefore, this article details the development of an intervention that can provide a new path forward for prisoner reentry programs. Informed by a rigorous process based on both theory and a thorough literature review of randomized controlled trials, evidence-driven interventions were identified and combined into a holistic reentry services approach.

Promoting Reentry Well-Being: A Novel Assessment Tool for Individualized Service Assignment in Prisoner Reentry Programs.

Promoting Reentry Well-Being: A Novel Assessment Tool for Individualized Service Assignment in Prisoner Reentry Programs.

Gender differences in experiences of social support among men and women releasing from prison

Objectives: Positive social support is critically important to postprison well-being outcomes. However, researchers and program developers are still trying to understand how to best promote stable and sustainable social support for formerly incarcerated individuals during reentry to the community. We sought to add to the body of knowledge on social support and prisoner reentry by comparing men and women releasing from prison on the quality (e.g., positive or negative) and amount of informal social support. Methods: A random sample of 395 male ( n = 165) and female ( n = 230) releasing prisoners participated in the study. After unadjusted bivariate comparisons, multivariate regression was conducted to identify gender differences in preincarceration social support quality of influence and anticipated number of postrelease support persons while controlling for important covariates such as substance abuse and mental illnesses. Results: Males reported higher rates of negative social support overall, and females reported higher rates of both mixed and positive social support compared to their male counterparts. Older participants reported higher levels of positive support compared to younger participants. Men of color reported significantly higher levels of positive support than their White male counterparts. Overall, women had higher prevalence of behavioral health factors that complicate quality of support. However, there were no differences in gender found for the amount of perceived social support available postrelease in the unadjusted models. Implications: Study findings suggest the need for gender-specific and culturally tailored targets for prisoner reentry programs addressing social support. Possible adaptations for interventions are explored.

Longitudinal Associations among Child Support Debt, Employment, and Recidivism after Prison

ABSTRACTRecently released prisoners in the United States are increasingly facing the burden of financial debt associated with correctional supervision, yet little research has pursued how—theoretically or empirically—the burden of debt might affect life after prison. To address this gap, we employ life course and strain perspectives and path analysis to examine the impact of child support debt on employment and recidivism, using longitudinal data from an evaluation of a prisoner reentry program known as the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative. Results indicate that having more debt has no effect on recidivism; however, more debt was significantly associated with a decrease in later legitimate employment. Implications for community reintegration and justice processing are discussed within the framework of past and emerging work on legal financial obligations, employment, and desistance from crime after prison.

Evaluating the Long-Term Effects of Prisoner Reentry Services on Recidivism: What Types of Services Matter?

We analyzed data collected for a large multi-site evaluation of 12 prisoner reentry programs in 12 states to examine the impact of pre-release services on time to rearrest and number of rearrests up to 56 months post-release for male offenders. A two-stage matching quasi-experimental design was used to define the comparison groups and multivariate models were used to examine the relationships among service and program receipt and recidivism. Participation in the reentry program was associated with longer time to arrest and fewer arrests after release. However, the specific services delivered as part of the program showed modest or inconsistent impacts on recidivism. Services that focused on individual change were more beneficial than services that focused on practical skills and needs. Practitioners should consider careful sequencing of program and service delivery in prison, linking in-prison services to post-release assistance, and evaluating all services and programs for fidelity and effectiveness.

Work wisdom: Teaching former prisoners how to negotiate workplace interactions and perform a rehabilitated self

Drawing on eight months of ethnographic fieldwork at a community-based prisoner reentry program, this article investigates how staff members attempt to cultivate former prisoners’ cultural capital to mitigate stigma and facilitate interactions with employers. I call this curriculum work wisdom, which involves teaching clients how to (1) disclose discrediting information and communicate remorse; (2) tailor their style of dress, speech, and bodily comportment to avoid evoking negative stereotypes; (3) negotiate the tacit norms of workplace culture; and (4) remain confident and resilient in the face of rejection. Work wisdom provides former prisoners with the dramaturgical resources to perform dominant cultural scripts and practices in the short term as they undergo the longer-term process of reintegration. These findings illustrate how the cultivation of cultural capital begins by teaching superficial performances that can be internalized as durable dispositions over time. In the conclusion, I discuss the limitations of work wisdom.

A Strengths-Based Approach to Prisoner Reentry: The Fresh Start Prisoner Reentry Program.

Scholars have called for a strengths-based approach to prisoner reentry, yet there are few available program models that outline how to integrate this approach into the current reentry program landscape. The present article highlights a strengths-based prisoner reentry program that provided services to men both pre- and post-release from prison to the community in the United States. Qualitative findings from focus groups provide preliminary support for the strengths-based approach and highlight men's strengths and needs as well as challenges related to the program's implementation. The reentry program then drew from participants' reports to inform program development activities. Implications and recommendations for integrating strengths-based approaches into prisoner reentry interventions are discussed.

Acceptability of a Social Support Intervention for Re-entering Prisoners

AbstractA relatively unexplored area of prisoner reentry programs involves actively engaging the prisoner’s naturally occurring social support in the reentry interventions. Most reentering prisoners rely on loved ones for social support, but that support is often fragile. Interventions that strengthen the sustainability of social support are crucial to a successful reentry. This study evaluates the acceptability of a social support intervention for male prisoners with substance-use disorders who are reentering the community. The manualized, community-based Support Matters intervention is delivered to dyads comprised of a reentering prisoner and a support partner through 10 weekly group sessions. Support Matters teaches cognitive and relational skills that reduce the likelihood of relapse to substance abuse and crime. This acceptability evaluation pilot tested Support Matters with a sample of 30 prisoner-support person dyads and 7 program facilitators to assess the recipients’ and intervention deliverers’ ...

An Experimental Evaluation of a Comprehensive Employment-Oriented Prisoner Re-entry Program

While the economic model of crime suggests that improving post-prison labor market prospects should reduce recidivism, evaluations of previous employment-oriented re-entry programs have mixed results, possibly due to the multi-faceted challenges facing prisoners at the time of their release. We present an evaluation of an experiment that combines enhanced employment opportunities with wrap around services before and after release. This paper presents what we believe is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a re-entry program that combines post-release subsidized work with “reach-in” social services provided prior to release. The sample was 236 high-risk offenders in Milwaukee with a history of violence or gang involvement. We observe increased employment rates and earnings during the period when ex-offenders are eligible for subsidized jobs, and these gains persist throughout the year. The intervention has significant effects (p < 0.01) in reducing the likelihood of rearrest. The likelihood that the treatment group is re-imprisoned during the first year after release is lower than for controls (22 vs. 26 %) but the difference is not statistically significantly different from zero. The results of our RCT suggest that “reach-in” services to help improve human capital of inmates prior to release, together with wrap around services following release, boosts employment and earnings, although whether there is sufficient impact on recidivism for the intervention to pass a benefit-cost test is more uncertain. Average earnings for both treatment and control groups were very low; legal work simply does not seem that important in the economic lives of released prisoners.

Helping Others as a Response to Reconcile a Criminal Past

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the staff members working for prisoner reentry programs are formerly incarcerated persons. Moreover, criminologists have written that the strengths-based role of the “wounded healer” or “professional ex-” is exemplified by released prisoners who desist from a deviant career by replacing it with an occupation as a paraprofessional, lay therapist, or counselor. Despite these observations, there is a paucity of research about formerly incarcerated persons employed by agencies that provide reentry-related programming. This study begins to fill this gap by examining whether, how, and why the staff members of prisoner reentry programs differ from the clients. Characteristics of formerly incarcerated persons thought to be related to desistance and reconciling a criminal past such as overcoming stigma, prosocial attitudes and beliefs, active coping strategies, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with life are examined. Findings support the notion that the wounded healer or professional ex- role is related to desistance and can potentially transform formerly incarcerated persons from being part of “the problem” into part of “the solution” to reduce crime and recidivism.

A randomized experiment of a prisoner reentry program: updated results from an evaluation of the Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP)

Using a randomized experimental design, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP), a prisoner reentry pilot project implemented in 2008. In an effort to reduce recidivism, MCORP attempted to increase offender access to community services and programming by producing greater case management collaboration between caseworkers in prison and supervision agents in the community. Results from Cox regression models showed that MCORP significantly reduced four of the five recidivism measures examined, although the size of the reduction in hazard ratios was relatively modest (20–25%). The findings further suggested that MCORP reduced costs. Sensitivity analyses showed, however, that the cost avoidance estimates were not robust across all assumptions that were examined.

Latent Homeless Risk Profiles of a National Sample of Homeless Veterans and Their Relation to Program Referral and Admission Patterns

We identified risk and need profiles of homeless veterans and examined the relation between profiles and referrals and admissions to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless service programs. We examined data from the VA's new Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System on 120,852 veterans from 142 sites nationally in 2011 and 2012 using latent class analyses based on 9 homeless risk factors. The final 4-class solution compared both referral and admission to VA homeless services. We identified 4 latent classes: relatively few problems, dual diagnosis, poverty-substance abuse-incarceration, and disabling medical problems. Homeless veterans in the first group were more likely to be admitted to the VA's permanent supportive housing program, whereas those in the second group were more likely to be admitted to more restrictive VA residential treatment. Homeless veterans in the third group were more likely to be admitted to the VA's prisoner re-entry program, and those in the fourth group were more likely to be directed to VA medical services. The heterogeneous risk and need profiles of homeless veterans supported the diversity of VA homeless services and encouraged the development of specialized services to meet their diverse needs.

Prisoner Reentry Research From 2000 to 2010

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of 35 evaluations on community-based prisoner reentry programs that have been published in the past decade, between 2000 and 2010, evaluating 29 different programs. We were surprised by the small number of studies available in the literature considering the magnitude of the problem and its implications for correctional budgets, community safety, and prisoner rehabilitation. The most commonly found reentry program features were life skills and substance abuse treatment. Programs with aftercare and housing assistance were most likely to produce favorable outcomes. Most studies located in this narrative analysis used quasi-experimental designs; few employed random assignment. The vast majority of studies found in peer-reviewed journals reported favorable outcomes. Quasi-experimental studies were also far more likely to find positive outcomes than studies using random assignment. We conclude by offering some suggestions for future research.

Estimating the Benefits of a Faith-Based Correctional Program

A recent outcome evaluation of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (InnerChange), a faith-based prisoner reentry program that has operated within Minnesota’s prison system since 2002, showed the program is effective in lowering recidivism. This study extends research on InnerChange by conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Because InnerChange relies heavily on volunteers and program costs are privately funded, the program exacts no additional costs to the State of Minnesota. As a result, this study focused on estimating the program’s benefits by examining recidivism and post-release employment. The findings showed that during its first six years of operation in Minnesota, InnerChange produced an estimated benefit of $3 million, which amounts to nearly $8,300 per participant. Much of this benefit stems from costs avoided as a result of the program’s impact on reoffending.

A Randomized Trial of a Multimodal Community-Based Prisoner Reentry Program Emphasizing Substance Abuse Treatment

Prisoner reentry programs continue to be developed and implemented to ease the process of transition into the community and to curtail fiscal pressures. This study describes and provides relapse and recidivism outcome findings related to a randomized trial evaluating a multimodal, community-based reentry program that prioritized substance abuse treatment. Results from analyses suggest negligible effects for participants of the program across multiple outcome indicators. Avenues for further exploration are provided, with a cautionary emphasis on the continued expansion of multimodal community-based reentry programs.