NCJ Number
201170
Journal
Crime & Delinquency Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 360-388
Editor(s)
Ronald E. Vogel
Date Published
July 2003
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This article provides an overview and background of prisoner reentry and examines the current evaluations of reentry programs to determine what works.
Abstract
Today, there are many more offenders released from prisons than in the past. There are many factors surrounding the release of prisoners and their reentry to the community. These changes include a modification of sentencing from the use of parole to determinate release with fewer ex-offenders having supervision in the community, increased surveillance as opposed to assistance for those under supervision, less community stability and availability of community social service support, and larger numbers returning to the community. A large number of those released are returned to prison for either committing new crimes or for violating the technical conditions of their parole or release supervision. It is important to identify prisoner reentry programs that work. This article reports on a review of evaluations of prisoner reentry programs. After determining which studies fall within the reentry definition, a criterion had to be developed to determine if they work or not. Summary findings of prisoner reentry studies are presented that were identified within various reentry categories: vocational and work programs, drug rehabilitation, education programs, sex offenders and violent offenders, halfway house programs, and prison prerelease programs. This review identified the positive results of many prisoner reentry programs. Results indicate a positive result for vocational training and/or work release programs, for drug rehabilitation, to some extent for education programs, for halfway house programs, and for prerelease programs. This analysis showed that certain programs can improve prisoner reentry and reduce the revolving-door syndrome. Appendix A-C and references