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When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry

01 Jan 2003-
TL;DR: In this paper, a profile of returning prisoners is presented, along with a discussion of the changing nature of Parole Supervision and Services, and the role of the victim's role in prisoner reentry.
Abstract: Preface 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Who's Coming Home? A Profile of Returning Prisoners 3. The Origins and Evolution of Modern Parole 4. The Changing Nature of Parole Supervision and Services 5. How We Help: Preparing Inmates for Release 6. How We Hinder: Legal and Practical Barriers to Reintegration 7. Revolving Door Justice: Inmate Release and Recidivism 8. The Victim's Role in Prisoner Reentry 9. What to Do? Reforming Parole and Reentry Practices 10. Conclusions: When Punitive Policies Backfire Afterword
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For example, the authors found that more than 60% of employers would not knowingly hire an applicant with a criminal background (Holzer, 1996) and that over 80% of those employed would not employ an ex-offender with such a background.
Abstract: The problems of prisoner reentry are by now well known to academics and policymakers. With over two million individuals currently incarcerated, and over 12 million individuals with prior felony convictions, the challenge of integrating this large and growing population has become an urgent priority. Employment is widely considered a centerpiece of the reentry process, with evidence that steady work can reduce the incentives that lead to crime (Bushway and Reuter, 1997; Travis, 2005). And yet, hindering this goal, we know that ex-offenders face bleak prospects in the labor market, with the mark of a criminal record representing an important barrier to finding work (Pager, 2003). Indeed, more than 60% of employers claim that they would not knowingly hire an applicant with a criminal background (Holzer, 1996). Overcoming the barriers to employment facing ex-offenders, then, represents an important challenge for policies aimed at effective prisoner reentry. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that the employment of ex-offenders is not necessarily without cost. Employers bear the burden of theft and violence in the workplace, as well as the more mundane problems of unreliable staff and employee turnover. With respect to each of these concerns, a criminal record is arguably a relevant signal. Indeed, to the extent that the past is a strong predictor of the future, a conviction conveys some information about the likelihood of future illegal, dangerous, or debilitating forms of behavior. Employers thus have good reason to be cautious about hiring individuals with known criminal pasts. Any policy designed to promote the employment of ex-offenders will have to address the real and perceived risks facing employers who hire individuals with criminal records. How then can we balance our interests in promoting the employment of ex-offenders with the desire to safeguard those employers who stand at the front lines of reentry initiatives? To date, most policies focusing on exoffenders have emphasized either “promoting reentry” or “reducing risk.” The first of these approaches seeks to facilitate employment for exoffenders through various strategies, such as establishing antidiscrimination legislation, removing legal barriers, providing job training and placement services and the like. By contrast, those focused on

37 citations


Cites background from "When Prisoners Come Home: Parole an..."

  • ...…of legal restriction on public employment after a felony conviction.5 All states place at least certain restrictions on occupational licenses for individuals with criminal records, with the number of barred occupations increasing substantially over time (Dale, 1976; May, 1995; Petersilia, 2003)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
Maria Berghuis1
TL;DR: The results of this review reflect the variability of findings on reducing recidivism and highlight a need for further research and theory development around reentry programs.
Abstract: The aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of reentry programs designed to reduce recidivism and ensure successful reintegration among adult, male offenders. Studies were included if they (a) evaluated a reentry program incorporating elements dealing with the transition from prison to community for adult, male offenders; (b) utilized a randomized controlled design; and (c) measured recidivism as a primary outcome. In addition, secondary outcomes measures of reintegration were also included. The systematic search of 8,179 titles revealed nine randomized controlled evaluations that fulfilled eligibility criteria. The random-effects meta-analysis for rearrest revealed a statistically nonsignificant effect favoring the intervention (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.74, 1.07]). Similar results were found for reconviction (OR = 0.94, 95% CI [0.77, 1.12]) and reincarceration (OR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.78, 1.05]). Studies reported mixed results of secondary outcomes of reintegration. The results of this review reflect the variability of findings on reducing recidivism. The challenges faced in conducting this review highlight a need for further research and theory development around reentry programs.

37 citations


Cites background from "When Prisoners Come Home: Parole an..."

  • ...prison walls (Petersilia, 2003)....

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  • ...Ideally, these programs would also make this transition a gradual one (Petersilia, 2003)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Examining the relative physical closeness to health providers of parolees based on their demographic and prior offending characteristics suggests inequity in access to services, as minority parolees and those with greater needs may live near more impacted providers.

36 citations


Cites background from "When Prisoners Come Home: Parole an..."

  • ...Prisoners returning to their communities often have serious problems with substance abuse, mental health, family conflict, homelessness, and lack strong social networks of support (Kushel et al., 2005; Petersilia, 2003)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors bring together research on parole governance with women's experiences of reentry and highlight how parole governance intersects, conflicts with, and complicates their efforts to return to their communities and transition out of the gaze of the penal state.
Abstract: This article brings together research on parole governance with women’s experiences of reentry. In particular, drawing on longitudinal qualitative interviews with a group of women leaving prison and returning to their communities, the present study highlights the way parole structures women’s reintegration efforts post-incarceration. The women’s experiences highlight how parole governance intersects, conflicts with, and complicates their efforts to return to their communities and transition out of the gaze of the penal state.

36 citations


Cites background from "When Prisoners Come Home: Parole an..."

  • ...In practice, parole officers rely heavily on surveillance technologies such as electronic monitoring, Global Positioning System (GPS), and (especially) drug testing to monitor their caseloads (Petersilia, 2003)....

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  • ...…prisoners face as they experience the reentry process and work to desist from crime including the challenges of finding housing and employment, reconnecting with family, and accessing health care and other social services (Mallik-Kane & Visher, 2008; Pager, 2003; Petersilia, 2003; Richie, 2001)....

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  • ...Parole officials report that finding housing for parolees is “by far their biggest challenge”—even more difficult than finding a job (Petersilia, 2003, p. 120); economic marginalization, stigma, and public housing exclusions for individuals with felony records are all tremendous obstacles (Bergseth…...

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  • ...Indeed, important scholarship identifies a variety of barriers that former prisoners face as they experience the reentry process and work to desist from crime including the challenges of finding housing and employment, reconnecting with family, and accessing health care and other social services (Mallik-Kane & Visher, 2008; Pager, 2003; Petersilia, 2003; Richie, 2001)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined where future practitioners and policymakers (i.e., students majoring in criminal justice) fall on the punishment-rehabilitation continuum and found that support for the rehabilitation of offenders tends to be present across a number of demographic indicators.
Abstract: This study examines where future practitioners and policymakers (i.e., students majoring in criminal justice) fall on the punishment–rehabilitation continuum. A scale comprised of global measures of rehabilitation was administered to a purposive/convenience sample (N = 633) of college students at five colleges/universities in the northeastern USA. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to compare scale and item means across gender, academic year, age, major, and other variables. Results indicate that support for the rehabilitation of offenders tends to be present across a number of demographic indicators. The policy and pedagogical implications of such attitudes are discussed.

36 citations


Cites background from "When Prisoners Come Home: Parole an..."

  • ...Tel: +1 814 732 2430; Fax: +1 814 732 2233; Email: spackard@edinboro.edu Petersilia (2003) notes that about 1,600 prisoners return to the community from prison each day....

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