From Prison to Home
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FROM PRISON TO HOME The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry Jeremy Travis Amy L. Solomon Michelle Waul URBAN INSTITUTE research for safer communities Justice Policy Center Dear Colleague: We are pleased to present this mono- stakes of reentry, and the opportuni- graph on prisoner reentry. We hope it ties to improve both safety and can inform a broad set of discussions reintegration outcomes over the about one of the most pressing issues coming years. of our time—the challenge of reinte- Our ultimate hope is that this grating record numbers of individuals report will inform the new policy who leave prison and return home. discussions that we sense are under- This challenge is felt differently by way. From the U.S. Congress, which different sectors of our society. Most has allocated nearly $100 million this fundamentally, it is experienced by year to reentry strategies and is nearly 1,600 men and women who considering bipartisan legislation to leave prison each day. In a monograph address prisoner reintegration, to the such as this one, we cannot capture community groups that are building their stories, yet their experiences give networks of support and supervision meaning and richness to the data we for those coming out, the interest in present in the pages that follow. “reentry” is simply stunning. As we The challenge of reentry is also were putting this report together, felt acutely by the families, friends, governors’ staff, sentencing commis- and communities of the returning sions, health care providers, correc- prisoners. For some, the return of tions agencies, kinship care networks, one who has been in prison is a research institutions, treatment moment eagerly anticipated. For advocates, law enforcement organiza- others, it is feared. In all instances, tions, victims’ rights groups, child coming home triggers a complex and development specialists, prisoners’ mixed set of emotions and realities rights associations, and educators all for those in closest relation to the found their way to our doorstep. The former prisoner. The moment of common introduction was, “We hear reentry can raise new fears for the you might know something about victims of the original offense, or it reentry.” We learned that they, too, can be a time for reconciliation. And were interested in reentry because then there are the stubborn facts of they were exploring ways to conduct daily living—the search for housing, their core business differently. And employment, treatment, health care, they thought understanding the and something as simple as a driver’s reentry perspective could help im- license. These challenges, large and prove outcomes for their communities small, are now experienced in much or constituencies. We would be larger numbers than ever before. pleased beyond measure if this The increasing volume of return- report could help them, and others, ing prisoners, the multiple challenges succeed. they face, and their high recidivism rates have serious consequences for Jeremy Travis public safety, as well as state bud- Amy L. Solomon gets. These impacts expose the high Michelle Waul FROM PRISON TO HOME: The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry Jeremy Travis Amy L. Solomon Michelle Waul June 2001 copyright © 2001 About the Authors The Urban Institute 2100 M Street, NW Jeremy Travis is a senior fellow at the Urban program for offenders; developed strategies Washington, DC 20037 Institute, developing research and policy for prisoners transitioning to the community; www.urban.org agendas on crime in the community context, worked with juveniles in detention, probation, (202) 833-7200 new concepts of the agencies of justice, and school settings; and participated in vari- sentencing and prisoner reentry, and interna- ous criminal justice working groups, boards, tional crime. Mr. Travis is co-chair of the and committees. Ms. Solomon has an MPP The views expressed are Reentry Roundtable, a group of prominent degree with a concentration in criminal jus- those of the authors and academics, practitioners, service providers, tice policy and management from Harvard should not be attributed to the and community leaders working to advance University’s Kennedy School of Government. Urban Institute, its trustees, policies and innovations on prisoner reentry Michelle Waul is a research associate with or its funders. that reflect solid research. Before he joined the Justice Policy Center. She focuses on the Urban Institute, Mr. Travis was the direc- Designed by David Williams initiatives to help inform the work of policy- tor of the National Institute of Justice, the makers and practitioners by facilitating links research arm of the U.S. Department of to the research activities of the Center. Her Justice. Mr. Travis has been an active figure primary areas of concentration are violent in the development of a policy and research crime victimization and offending, prisoner agenda on the issue of prisoner reentry. He reentry, transnational crime, and understand- is the author of the article “But They All ing crime in the community context. She co- Come Back: Rethinking Prisoner Reentry,” manages a reentry project, funded by the and shaped the federal initiative on reentry U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser- courts and reentry partnerships. Mr. Travis vices, assessing the impact of incarceration earned his JD, cum laude, from the New and return of ex-prisoners on children, fami- York University School of Law; an MPA from lies, and low-income communities. Her other the New York University Wagner Graduate Urban Institute projects have included draft- School of Public Service; and a BA in Ameri- ing data collection instruments and a litera- can Studies, cum laude, with honors from ture review for a national evaluation of the Yale College. Victims of Crime Act program. Before she Amy L. Solomon is a policy associate at the joined the Urban Institute, Ms. Waul served Urban Institute, where she works to link the as the project manager for the Victims of research activities of the Justice Policy Cen- Crime Act program for the state of Illinois. ter to policy and practice arenas in the field. Ms. Waul has an MPP degree from George- Her primary areas of concentration are pris- town University’s Public Policy Institute and a oner reentry and problem-solving ap- BA in sociology and criminal justice from the proaches to public safety. She currently University of Wisconsin at Madison. serves as project manager for the Reentry Roundtable and co-manages a project for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser- vices that focuses on the impact of incar- ceration and reentry on children, families, and low-income communities. Before she joined the Urban Institute, Ms. Solomon served as policy analyst and acting director of strategic planning at the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. There, she developed and managed prisoner reentry and commu- nity crime reduction initiatives; prepared background papers for senior department officials; and provided a research basis for emerging crime policy initiatives. Prior to her work at the Justice Department, Ms. Solomon managed a community service FROM PRISON TO HOME: Contents The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry Chapter 1. Prisoner Reentry: An Overview......................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Sentencing and Supervision Context..................................................................................... 4 Reentry and Public Safety ..................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2. The Reentry Process.......................................................................... 9 Who’s Coming Home? .......................................................................................................... 9 How Are Release Decisions Made? .................................................................................... 14 How Are Prisoners Prepared for Release and Reintegration? ............................................ 16 The Moment of Release ....................................................................................................... 18 Post-Release Supervision ................................................................................................... 20 Parole Violations .................................................................................................................. 22 Chapter 3. Challenges for Prisoner Reentry..................................................... 25 Substance Abuse .................................................................................................................25 Physical and Mental Health ................................................................................................. 27 Employability and Workforce Participation .......................................................................... 31 Reentry and Housing ........................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 4. Implications of Prisoner Reentry for Families and Communities ................................................................................... 37 The Impact of Reentry on Families and Children of Former Prisoners ............................... 37 The Impact of Reentry on Communities .............................................................................