NCJ Number
233276
Date Published
2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study examined the problems associated with prisoner reentry in a sample of released offenders in Chicago.
Abstract
Study findings indicate that prisoners' residences, postrelease, were relatively stable over time. At the time of the first postrelease interview, 88 percent of released offenders had resided in one place since release; this number decreased to 72.4 percent by the time of the third postrelease interview, with 10.4 percent of released offenders moving more than once since release. Data for this study were obtained from three waves of postrelease interviews conducted with male prisoners returning to Chicago after release from prison. Wave 1 data was collected 2 to 3 months after release (n=296); wave 2 data were collected 6 to 9 months after release (n=266); and wave 3 data were collected 1 to 2 years after release (n=194). Information was collected on how often and why released prisoners changed residences, whether differences existed between those who changed residences and those who remained at one address, and among those prisoners, who changed residences, how far did they move and to what type of neighborhood did they go. The study results provide new information on the types of offenders that move after release from prison, why they move, and the types of neighborhoods in which they reside. These findings have implications for policies regarding offender relapse and recidivism, and are discussed in detail. 1 table, 3 figures, and 9 endnotes