NCJ Number
251024
Date Published
June 2017
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This report identifies and discusses five broad, field-based practical considerations for incorporating mentoring into reentry programs for adults after incarceration.
Abstract
In its introduction, this report notes that although research has shown that carefully structured, well-run mentoring programs can positively impact social, behavioral, and academic outcomes for at-risk youth, it has yet to be determined whether adults reentering their communities after incarceration can also benefit from mentoring as part of a reentry program. The existing research related to adult reentry mentoring rarely addresses participants' criminogenic risk levels and other factors that are known to be significant in recidivism-reduction strategies. In order to address this research gap, this report has five goals. First, it provides recommendations for community-based organizations that want to integrate adult mentoring into existing reentry programming. Second, it provides guidance for developing effective partnerships with correctional agencies. Third, it promotes peer learning by highlighting reentry programs that use promising practices in adult mentoring, including peer mentoring. Fifth, it encourages increased data collection and evaluation through stronger collaboration between reentry programs and research partners, so as to determine the value of mentoring adults in reentry. Appendixes contain a community-based organization and corrections agency relationship-building questionnaire, a sample logic model, a glossary, and 67 notes.