The paper presents a systematic review and metasynthesis of findings from qualitative evaluations of community reentry programs. The programs sought to engage recently released adult prison inmates with either problematic drug use or a mental health disorder. Seven biomedical and social science databases, Cinahl, Pubmed, Scopus, Proquest, Medline, Sociological abstracts and Web of Science and publisher database Taylor and Francis were searched in 2016 resulting in 2373 potential papers. Abstract reviews left 140 papers of which 8 were included after detailed review. Major themes and subthemes were identified through grounded theory inductive analysis of results from the eight papers. Of the final eight papers the majority (6) were from the United States. In total, the papers covered 405 interviews and included 121 (30%) females and 284 (70%) males. Findings suggest that the interpersonal skills of case workers; access to social support and housing; and continuity of case worker relationships throughout the pre-release and post-release period are key social and structural factors in program success. Evaluation of community reentry programs requires qualitative data to contextualize statistical findings and identify social and structural factors that impact on reducing incarceration and improving participant health. These aspects of program efficacy have implications for reentry program development and staff training and broader social and health policy and services.

Systematic review of qualitative evaluations of reentry programs addressing problematic drug use and mental health disorders amongst people transitioning from prison to communities

Strength based approaches and protective factors from a criminological perspective

Families represent a form of social capital that can influence effective reintegration
depending on the strength of the bond, and the nature of the relationship. An
innovative training programme delivered at HMP Kirkham was designed to mobilise
the strengths of prisoners, in the period prior to their release, by engaging family members
as bridges to community resources and by a shared planning process designed to
build stronger bonds between prisoners and their families. The conceptual framework
for the Kirkham Family Connectors (KFC) project is based on the principles of Asset
Based Community Development (ABCD) and Assertive Linkage (assisting individuals
in engaging with such assets). The project aimed to build prisoner resettlement capital by
identifying what each prisoner’s skills and strengths were, what enthused and engaged
them, and to create partnerships with family members to establish accessible pathways to
related resources in the communities to which they would be returning on their release.
Evaluation data show that the programme generated hope and a sense of partnership
among participants and key lessons for a strengths-based intervention to support the
prison-community transition. All three of the participating groups – staff, prisoners, and
families – reported positive engagement and an emerging sense of hope, and group cohesion
through shared goals. There is considerable scope for both peer and probation staff
delivery of the programme in the future, and for extending the scale and the scope of the
project.

/pdf/building-bridges-to-the-community-the-kirkham-family-43m1vg8i3g.pdf

Building Bridges to the Community: the Kirkham Family Connectors (KFC) Prison Programme

Recent Parolees Participating in an Adult Basic Education and Work Skills Program by Charles Jenkins, Sr. MSET, DeVry University, 2012 MEd, Liberty University, 2009 BS, Southern Illinois University, 1999 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Learning, Instruction, and Innovation

https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7617&context=dissertations

Recent Parolees Participating in an Adult Basic Education and Work Skills Program

Recovery from addiction and desistance from crime are processes which are often experienced and supported in the same physical spaces, while recovery and desistance are also frequently experienced by the same people. Research so far has predominantly explored the two processes separately, however there are a number of social factors that have been identified separately by research as having the capacity to positively influence both processes. Examining the common social factors which shape these processes will strengthen the evidence base and better support people in practice. This thesis has synthesised existing evidence and theory on social factors, with three categories emerging from the two literatures: Relationships and social bonds; Social identity, group membership and social networks; and Social capital. Using a mixed methods approach, the thesis outlines a new ‘social component model of recovery and desistance’, based on two studies. The samples consist of recovery support group members, the first from social enterprise Jobs, Friends and Houses; and the second across three settings: Blackpool, Sheffield and Lincoln. The influence of the social components is explored with regards to their capacity to influence recovery and desistance from onset, in order to fully understand their change roles in consequential desistance and recovery. This research also examines the possibility of the existence of a radius of trust (Fukuyama, 2001) as something that emerges in group settings as a mechanism through which the social components are enhanced, producing beneficial effects for group members and their recovery/desistance. The results show the presence of each of the social components, and indicate that trajectories into addiction and offending were shaped by a lack of or damaging versions of the social components, and the consequent journey into recovery/desistance was shaped by each of the pro-social components, including a ‘lead component’ which was prioritised by the participant in order to progress their recovery/desistance. The radius of trust was identified in both studies as important to the social components model, acting to enhance each component (for example through strengthening relationships) and reduce perceptions of stigma. The radius of trust requires further examination from a community perspective for its potential to extend beyond the perimeters of the group and have positive effects on social cohesion in wider communities through promoting the accessibility and visibility of the pro-social components.

/pdf/the-social-components-model-of-recovery-from-addiction-and-433avz8may.pdf

The Social Components Model of Recovery from Addiction and Desistance from Crime

Scholars have called for a strengths-based approach to prisoner reentry, yet there are few available program models that outline how to integrate this approach into the current reentry program landscape. The present article highlights a strengths-based prisoner reentry program that provided services to men both pre- and post-release from prison to the community in the United States. Qualitative findings from focus groups provide preliminary support for the strengths-based approach and highlight men's strengths and needs as well as challenges related to the program's implementation. The reentry program then drew from participants' reports to inform program development activities. Implications and recommendations for integrating strengths-based approaches into prisoner reentry interventions are discussed.

Mike Lawlor

Papers

A Strengths-Based Approach to Prisoner Reentry: The Fresh Start Prisoner Reentry Program