Prisoner Reentry
Approximately 650,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons every year in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of these ex-prisoners recidivate within three years. The social costs associated with this phenomenon are significant for prisoners and their families (e.g., higher penalties for repeated offenders, further detachment from pro-social networks) and government agencies (e.g., public safety concerns, growing fiscal pressures). Some of these obstacles are not new; however, their relevance and impact has been amplified by mass imprisonment and more conservative policies and ideologies. In response, practitioners and scholars have reconsidered the logic and structure of the reintegration process for ex-prisoners in order to provide more effective services and interventions. A growing body of research has begun to document these reentry initiatives from various perspectives and methodologies.