Reentry Planning Research Articles

Adopting Non-Exclusionary Discipline Practices: The First Steps Are the Most Confusing

Two years after the State of Illinois enacted an extensive non-exclusionary discipline reform in schools, 322 key discipline gatekeepers were surveyed about the extent and impact of the new state policy. The results showed that several core provisions of the reform had not been fully implemented or addressed through professional development. Creating re-entry plans for students with long suspensions, eliminating zero tolerance policies, and limiting disciplinary transfers to alternative schools were the least implemented provisions. Furthermore, contrary to principals’ conservative self-reporting, large proportions of school personnel still had not received required professional development in key topics such as (a) adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system involvement, (b) culturally responsive discipline, and (c) developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote positive and healthy school climate. Finally, differences were revealed between principals and other gatekeepers regarding satisfaction with, and impact of the implementation. Sharp differences were found between principals, on one hand, and teachers and support personnel, on the other hand, about the continuing prevalence and high frequency of discipline incidents, and about improvement in the overall school climate. If the reform is going to be impactful, it was recommended that more emphasis be placed on ensuring that teachers and support personnel receive adequate and timely professional development on the provisions of the policies.

Juvenile Second Chance Act Participation in Virginia: Impact on Rearrest, Reconviction, and Reincarceration

This study evaluates the recidivism impact of the Tidewater Reentry Initiative (TRI) for medium and high-risk juveniles released from secure statewide facilities. TRI used an intensive case management model combined with in-reach prerelease reentry planning. Impact was assessed using propensity score (PS) weighting in a geographic comparison design. Treatment youth were released from statewide facilities to the Tidewater area of Virginia; comparison youth were released to a comparison area. PSs were used to balance the samples on demographics, current case characteristics, and criminal history. Descriptively, treatment youth showed lower rearrest and reconviction rates at 6, 12, and 24 months following release than comparison youth. Survival analyses examined time to first rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration, using 6 months to 6 years of follow-up data. Treatment youth were slower to be rearrested and reconvicted, which was significant at the p < .10 level in Cox proportional hazard models. These beneficial effects appear concentrated among the youth released as adults, but formal tests of the interaction were not significant. The intensive case management model seems to have promise to delay recidivism, although high recidivism rates suggest that the model is not intensive enough for high risk youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Returning to School Following Hospitalization for Suicide-Related Behaviors: Recognizing Student Voices for Improving Practice

Adolescent hospitalizations for suicide-related behaviors have increased in recent years, with the highest rates occurring during the academic school year. Schools are a primary environment that adolescents return to following hospitalization, making them an important context for understanding recovery following a suicidal crisis. Although previous research highlights provider perceptions for improving this transition, limited research has focused on adolescent views. This qualitative study presents findings from interviews with 19 adolescents previously hospitalized for a suicide-related crisis. Results highlight the need to strengthen social supports for returning youth. Specifically, findings suggest the importance of emotional supports (e.g., positive school relationships and a safer psychosocial school climate), instrumental supports (e.g., collaborations and communication around reentry), informational supports (clearer procedures for academics and reentry processes), and appraisal supports that acknowledge the complexity of adolescent functioning upon return. Findings reinforce the importance of the school psychologist’s role in partnering with returning youth and their families and providing consultation to other school professionals about supporting their recovery. Impact Statement This study elevates adolescent voices by describing their experiences and viewpoints regarding school reintegration following psychiatric hospitalization for suicide-related behaviors. School psychologists and other school professionals should partner with returning students and families in supporting reintegration, and collaborate to strengthen student–adult relationships upon their return. While standard protocols for supporting returning adolescents may help improve reentry processes overall, it remains of critical importance to tailor safety plans and reentry plans based on individual adolescent experiences.

The health effects of gendered and devalued work: health outcomes of incarcerated women engaging in sex work and care/service work

BackgroundWomen with a history of incarceration are often engaged in highly gendered work, either sex work or low-wage care/service work jobs. While employment is an important element of reentry plans, low-wage jobs may not necessarily help women leave illicit activities, including commercial sex work. Incarcerated women often move between care/service work and sex work to supplement income, putting them at greater risk for negative health outcomes.ResultsUsing survey data from 400 women detained in a large urban jail, we examined how incarcerated women’s experience with sex work and low-wage care/service work affects four health-related outcomes: overall health concerns, clinical depression, regular drug use, and self-esteem. Of the survey participants, 24% engaged exclusively in sex work and 34% in care/service work. However, 41% of women held both sex work and care/service work jobs, prior to incarceration. Compared to women engaged in care/service work, a greater proportion of women engaged in sex work reported overall health concerns, clinical depression, and regular drug use. On the other hand, women in care/service work jobs exclusively reported lower levels of self-esteem than women engaging in sex work.ConclusionsMany reentry programs emphasize the importance of employment for former inmates, and yet, job options for women detained in jail are often limited to low-wage care/service jobs, which do not necessarily provide adequate security to lift women’s economic burdens. Consequently, many women with a history of incarceration may supplement their income with sex work to meet their basic economic needs. However, both of these highly gendered and devalued jobs may negatively affect health and wellbeing of women.

The Road Home: Predictors of Health Care Utilization Among Older Returning African American Men

Black or African American men face disproportionate rates of incarceration and poor health outcomes. Recent changes in sentencing policy have allowed individuals to return to communities after substantial periods of incarceration. Returning citizens often reenter with numerous challenges: housing, employment, medical assistance, and transportation. Analyses were conducted using multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship between health care utilization for returning men and need (chronic health conditions), predisposing (age, race, marital status, education, and housing situation), enabling (income, health coverage, employment status, and education) factors. Findings indicated that men 50 and above years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.04, 3.24]), Black or African American men (OR = 4.66, 95% CI = [2.35, 9.22]), those with college education (OR = 1.97, CI [1.07, 3.63]) and those having health coverage (OR = 3.34, CI [2.18, 5.11]) were more likely to utilize health care. These findings suggest the need for a greater need to establish linkages to community-based care during reentry planning. This is particularly relevant for reentering citizens who are not eligible for Medicare due to age or whose linkage to employer bases insurance is limited due to work history, employment discrimination, or education.

My Beloved Community

My Beloved Community

Jail diversion: the Miami model.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project (CMHP), located in Miami-Dade County, FL, was established in 2000 to divert individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI; eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression) or co-occurring SMI and substance use disorders away from the criminal justice system and into comprehensive community-based treatment and support services. The program operates two primary components: prebooking jail diversion consisting of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for law enforcement officers and postbooking jail diversion serving individuals booked into the county jail and awaiting adjudication. In addition, the CMHP offers a variety of overlay services intended to: streamline screening and identification of program participants; develop evidence-based community reentry plans to ensure appropriate linkages to community-based treatment and support services; improve outcomes among individuals with histories of noncompliance with treatment; and expedite access to federal and state entitlement benefits. The CMHP provides an effective, cost-efficient solution to a community problem and works by eliminating gaps in services, and by forging productive and innovative relationships among all stakeholders who have an interest in the welfare and safety of one of our community's most vulnerable populations.

A Survey of School Discipline Gatekeepers about the Implementation of the Non-Exclusionary Discipline Practices Reform in Illinois Schools

Two years after the State of Illinois enacted an extensive non-exclusionary discipline reform in schools, 322 key discipline gatekeepers in schools were surveyed about the extent and impact of its implementation. The results showed that a number of core provisions of the reform had not been fully implemented or addressed through professional development. Creating re-entry plans for students with long suspensions, eliminating zero tolerance policies, and limiting disciplinary transfers to alternative schools were the least implemented provisions. Furthermore, contrary to principals’ wishful and embellished self-reporting, large proportions of school personnel still had not received required professional development in key topics such as adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system involvement, culturally responsive discipline, and developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote positive and healthy school climate. Finally, sharp differences were found between principals and teachers and support personnel about the continuing prevalence and high frequency of discipline incidents, and about improvement in the overall school climate. If the reform is going to be impactful, it was recommended that more emphasis be placed on ensuring that teachers and support personnel receive adequate and timely professional development on the provisions of the policies.

A Qualitative Exploration of Reentry Service Needs: The Case of Fathers Returning From Prison.

The challenge of community and family reentry after a parent's release from prison remains an under-addressed area of collateral damage stemming from high rates of U.S. incarceration. Many fathers released from prison return to living with family, and later attribute family connections and parent-child contact as key factors in their post-release success. However, reentry planning is hampered by a dearth of research on family-focused reentry services, and consequently, often omits attention to resuming family and parenting roles. To address this gap, we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with 19 previously incarcerated fathers, 9 co-parenting mothers, and 10 relatives to explore service needs of fathers during reentry. Findings suggest programs not only should be multimodal, emphasizing family connections complemented by socioeconomic, self-care, and social support services, but also should be accessible and relatable, offered within the community, and engaging for fathers and family members. Findings reinforce the importance of self-determination and human agency while underscoring the multiple challenges fathers face upon reentry. By including the voices of those most affected by incarceration, this study advances knowledge to shape reentry programs and policies, contributes to efforts addressing criminal justice inequities, and promotes well-being among formerly incarcerated parents and their families.

Decision-Making and Holistic Public Defense Post-Montgomery v. Louisiana

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) for youth are unconstitutional. In 2016, the Court held in Montgomery v. Louisiana that the ruling in Miller should be applied retroactively. Drawing from qualitative interviews with justice actors, and individuals who were sentenced to LWOP as juveniles and paroled, this article examines the implementation of Miller-Montgomery in Michigan, the factors that influence decisions to release juvenile lifers, and their reentry process. In doing so, we focus specific attention to the role of publicly appointed defense attorneys and the application of holistic defense practices to support Montgomery case mitigation and juvenile lifer reentry. Findings indicate that institutional disciplinary and programming records, emotional wellness, statements by victims’ family members, political considerations, and reentry plans are key considerations when deciding whether a juvenile lifer should be eligible for parole.

School Reintegration Post-Psychiatric Hospitalization: Protocols and Procedures Across the Nation

Youth returning to schools following psychiatric hospitalization are at high risk for mental health crises and rehospitalization. Yet, little is known about the current practices schools use to support student reintegration. This study administered a self-report questionnaire to 133 school psychologists across the nation to identify the prevalence and scope of school reintegration protocols and procedures in middle and high schools. Sixteen percent of respondents identified having a formal (i.e., written) school reintegration protocol in place, 45% reported having an informal procedure, and the remaining 38% reporting no such protocol or procedure. Respondents identified several components to successful reintegration including (1) establishing communication with the hospital, (2) meeting with the family prior to the student’s return, and (3) developing an individualized re-entry plan. Having a school reintegration protocol was positively associated with perceived quality of services for students returning from psychiatric hospitalization. Implications for schools considering adopting a consistent strategy for supporting students during this transitionary time are discussed.

Translating research into practice: Designing effective reentry services for adolescent offenders

Abstract This article introduces the model design of a specialized juvenile reentry program that resulted in reducing recidivism to less than half the recidivism rate of those in the control group. The reentry program and evaluation was funded by the Second Chance Act and has been identified as a promising practice in reentry planning. The reentry project was a collaborative, region-wide effort involving juvenile justice administrators, law enforcement officials, treatment providers, and other community support partners. The intensity and type of reentry services provided were determined by the results of standard risk assessment and were delivered based upon a prescribed, dosage-based schema. Best practices in reentry planning are identified and the manner in which current best practices informed the model design is illustrated throughout the article. The article is intended for information dissemination and potential project replication.

School reentry services for students with chronic health conditions: An examination of regional practices

AbstractStudents experiencing chronic health difficulties represent a growing population in public schools. Given the unique challenges faced by these students including increased absences, resulting academic, and social/emotional/behavioral deficits, it is vital that schools are prepared to adequately meet their needs. One of the sometimes daunting tasks faced by these students and their families is the school reentry process, which occurs when the child returns to school following an extended period of time away. The purpose of the current study was to identify and evaluate the extent to which these services are currently being provided within school districts across a large Southeastern state. Results demonstrated that, although schools reported proficiency in the provision of formal school services, adherence to other best practices in school reentry, namely establishing multidisciplinary school reentry teams led by an appointed liaison, developing school reentry protocols and subsequent individualized reentry plans, sharing information with the student's peers, and formally assessing the student prior to or upon reentry, was lacking. Implications for schools and areas for future research are also discussed.

Risky business, risk assessment, and other heteronormative misnomers in women’s community corrections and reentry planning

This article uses ethnographic and interview data to explore how halfway house and community corrections staff in a women’s halfway house in the northeastern region of the U.S. police women’s sexuality and the ensuing complications of being queer and under supervision. In this setting, women are required to create a Reentry Home Plan that is approved by Community Corrections Officers, putting into tension some women’s newly emerging queer identity and/or nonnormative relationship schema that they see as “healthier” and more stable than heterosexual relationships, with Probation or Parole Officers’ heteronormative ideals that disapprove nontraditional home plans. This study shows how these women negotiate a marginalized sexual identity and resist biased forms of heteronormative surveillance that extend beyond the legislative parameters of community corrections supervision. It also illustrates the tensions between correctional staff, who view residents’ nonnormative relationships as potential sources of risk, and the supervised women, as they develop community release plans.

The Effects of Family Contact on Community Reentry Plans Among Incarcerated Youths

ABSTRACTResearch shows protective factors that mitigate risks for juvenile delinquency can also support the community reentry of incarcerated youths and deter future offending. Family engagement, educational attainment, and secure employment are widely accepted as important protective factors to prevent problematic behavior. Studies suggest these same protective factors are crucial for incarcerated youths and should be an integral part of reentry planning to improve post-release outcomes. Nevertheless, limited research exists on the association between these factors and the value of family involvement in reentry planning for incarcerated youths. This study addresses this gap by examining how increased family contact affects the likelihood of instituting education and employment reentry plans among youths in custody. Data were obtained from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP) that provides information on juvenile offenders in confinement. The SYRP is the first nationally representative cross-sectional survey to gather information directly from youths 10–20 years old in custody (N=7,073). Analyses were conducted using a sequence of regression models to test the relationship between the frequency of family contact and whether a youth had a plan for education or employment upon release. Results reflect that youths with increased family contact were one and a half times more likely to have both educational and employment reentry plans in place relative to youths with no family contact. Findings inform practice and policy to advocate for family involvement with youth in confinement, and further suggest that family plays a decisive role in preparing incarcerated youths for success upon release.

Concussions: Benefits of Academic Reentry Plans.

Purpose of this study was to identify whether children aged 12-14 years benefit from academic reentry plans when returning to school following a mild traumatic brain injury. An integrative review was carried out with data sourced from CINAHL, Medline, Education Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and hand searching of references. Abstracts were reviewed for inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting with six articles appraised and analyzed for this article. The review shows the need for gradual return to physical and cognitive activity postconcussion to facilitate a quicker recovery with fewer postconcussive symptoms. Although each traumatic brain injury case is individualized with symptoms and severity, a guideline of recommendations and accommodations for return to cognitive activity would be beneficial for the student, educator, family, and medical personnel involved in the children's care. Further research is recommended to develop a better understanding of long-term effects mild traumatic brain injury has on children and recommendations of how to minimalize or accommodate these changes.

Diversion at re-entry using criminogenic CBT: Review and prototypical program development.

Society and the criminal justice system prioritize the reduction of reoffending risk as part of any criminal justice intervention. The Sequential Intercept Model identifies five points of interception at which justice-involved individuals can be diverted into a more rehabilitative alternative: (1) law enforcement/emergency services; (2) booking/initial court hearings; (3) jails/courts; (4) re-entry; and (5) community corrections/community support. The present article focuses on diversion as part of Intercept 5 - re-entry planning and specialized services in the community. We describe the challenges associated with diversion at this stage, and review the relevant research. Next, we describe a "criminogenic cognitive behavioral therapy" project that has been developed and implemented as part of a federal re-entry court. Finally, we discuss the implications of the challenges of intervention at this stage, and the recently developed "Re-entry Project," for research, policy, and practice.

Criminal records and housing: an experimental study

This study examined whether a certificate of employment, which was created to help ex-offenders secure employment, could aid ex-offenders in securing housing and whether housing outcomes vary for ex-offenders possessing older and less serious criminal records. Four hundred and twenty property managers and owners were randomly sampled from stratified neighborhoods and randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: recent misdemeanor record, felony record with a Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE), old felony record, and recent felony record. We found that CQEs aid ex-offenders in finding housing. Severity and recency of offenses are inversely related to housing outcomes. Furthermore, single-family dwellings may be most accessible to ex-offenders.Findings suggest that reentry planning should encourage ex-offenders to pursue CQEs for purposes beyond their designed intent and include discussions regarding residence type and housing outcomes. Findings also suggest that the stigma of a criminal record and the resulting negative consequences continue long after conviction. Policy-makers should consider revising expungement laws to encompass a wider range of offenders with old criminal records.

Navigating the Disability Determination Process from the Perspective of Incarcerated Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses.

In the U.S. serious mental illness (SMI) is common in jails, which are often primary healthcare providers. Incarceration and healthcare are intertwined-lack of care access increases the risk of imprisonment which decreases care access. This case study explores a jail program which assists people with SMI with the disability determination process. Interviews with employees (n = 4) and clients (n = 25), and administrative data from jail databases on recidivism, benefit receipt, and demographics highlight the importance of reentry planning and access to resources in crime desistance, as well as how the program increased resource access, and provided feelings of hope and safety.

Institutional Assessment and Enhancement: A Re-Entry Plan for UM Digos College (UMDC)

This study is an evaluation of the institution for enhancing the services in the delivery in Higher Education Institution. This illustrates the re-entry plan of the institution as a proposal to have a clear connection to the necessary action to be made to have a successful implementation. The following steps are followed; First, completely acknowledges the existence of institutions, practices and implementation based on organizational structure, organizational culture and administrative processes in terms of Motivation, Leadership, Decision-Making, Communication and Organizational Change. Then, incorporate the in-class or out-of-class best practices and learning that is best to such challenges encountered during the assessment. Followed by specifying the elaboration of the integration of best practices and learning for implementation as plan and stipulating the process of embedding these plans based on the borders of authority on the various affected operations in the institution. Finally, explain in details the intended driving mechanism to ensure success; provide an initial assessment of the challenges as to its possible success; and recommend a clear manifestation of the action plan and its future implications.