Beyond Recidivism

Although there are some indicators of a recent deceleration, and even, in some states, reversal, of the recent growth of the US incarcerated populations, the past few decades of “tough-on-crime” policies have resulted in the incarceration of millions of individuals. An inevitable consequence is that most imprisoned individuals are released, reentering society. Research about prisoner reentry has advanced significantly across fields in the last decade, with improved data collection, expanded questions, and policy relevance. This volume highlights some of this work, from a multidisciplinary group of scholars. While all of the chapters address questions related to incarceration and its consequences, they draw on and reflect deeply social and political issues that are likely to be of interest to a wide range of readers. Authors come from political science, sociology, criminology and criminal justice, and public policy. They also incorporate a range of methodological perspectives and methods, from ethnography to experimental designs, with several chapters drawing on mixed methods. In addition to the empirical analyses, the volume also provides a road map of where to go next in researching criminal justice policies and their consequences and in developing effective policies.