Cleveland Stakeholders' Perceptions of Prisoner Reentry

• NCJ Number: 222719
• Author(s): Christy Visher; Tobi Palmer; Caterina Gouvis Roman
• Date Published: August 2007
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Policy Brief downloaded May 14, 2008.

Annotation

This brief is the fourth in a series of briefs documenting findings on prisoner reentry in Ohio, specifically men returning to the Cleveland area.

Abstract

Results from the recent Urban Institute report describing the circumstances and experiences of men who had been out of prison for at least a year were sobering; one year after release, the men in the study had little stability in their lives and desperately needed community services to help them succeed. Most of the respondents were living in temporary housing, were not working full-time, and had health problems that required medical attention. A coordinated community reentry strategy that involves not only former prisoners but also those within the context to which they are returning has the most promise for ameliorating seemingly intractable problems so many face when they return home. Possible solutions and changes that would reduce the barriers and obstacles to successful reentry and would increase the chances for success of men and women returning home to the community were identified. Reentry stakeholders also provided several examples of potential solutions to their barriers to entry. Solutions varied widely by substantive area (employment, housing, substance abuse treatment), and systems (corrections, community corrections, community-based service providers, community residents, and family). However, specific areas of change were repeated often in the interviews across the majority of respondents. These topics included: changes to prison and jail policies and practices, policies and programs addressing housing and employment issues, improving community perceptions, and expanding the role of government in reentry policy. Three strategies may offer the best opportunities for a more effective community response to prisoner reentry issues: a focus on changing community perceptions, coordinating service delivery, and expanding employment services. Data were collected from telephone interviews with 424 men released from an Ohio correctional facility between June 2004 and December 2005.