The dramatic growth in the incarceration rate since the mid-1970s has unintentionally resulted in massive numbers of people being released from prison each year. Consequently, prisoner reentry initiatives are receiving greater attention than ever before. At this point few studies have looked at public support for reentry initiatives, and the existing ones have taken a rather general and atheoretical approach. The current study explores public opinion toward a wide range of reentry policies and practices through a value conflict framework. Results from a randomly selected, statewide sample in Missouri indicate that people take into account such values as social welfare, retribution, and self-interest when assessing their support for reentry measures. As reentry initiatives may struggle to attain legitimacy and resources without public support, a number of policy implications are discussed. These implications include informing the public of the need for servicing those with prior prison terms and communicating the value of housing assistance during reentry.
The number of people reentering society after imprisonment has increased dramatically in recent decades in direct correlation with the growing prison population. As a result, empirical studies of prisoner reentry have also increased, but these studies typically focus on large urban areas and use quantitative methodologies. The current study expands the existing literature by examining qualitatively the reentry experiences of 43 male offenders living in a small metropolitan community. Participants were interviewed at the 3-month mark of their release from prison. They were asked about the strains and obstacles they encountered at three distinct time periods since their release: the first days of release, the 1-month mark, and the 3-month mark. These former prison inmates were also asked to identify any program or service that had helped or could help their reintegration into society. The results suggest that core obstacles and strains in reentry, such as issues with money, employment, and reconnecting with family, are consistent across geographical location. The study also produced some unique findings, such as psychosocial challenges being cited most frequently as obstacles or strains, the role of employment beyond its financial importance, and the negative aspects of religious components in reentry programs. Several policy recommendations relevant to the findings are discussed.
Transitional housing facilities for released prison inmates have existed in the United States since the early 1800s and are a promising strategy to aid offender reintegration. One recurring obstacle to the successful implementation and sustainability of these facilities is public resistance. Unfortunately, very little is known regarding what influences public support or opposition specifically for offender-based transitional housing. The current study examines how support for transitional housing centers may vary among residents of a Midwestern state based on the proximity of the facility and the types of offenders living there. The study also examines a range of possible influences on support, including community factors, family-related considerations, correctional and political views, and demographic variables. The most consistent influence on acceptance of transitional housing centers was general support for helping offenders during reentry. Other variables with more limited effects were an emphasis on services and programming over monitoring and surveillance during reentry, having a close family member imprisoned, age, and education level. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Finding credible alternatives to revocation for offenders who violate the conditions of their community supervision has emerged as a salient issue in the corrections field. A number of jurisdictions have turned to graduated sanctions as an alternative to revocation. This study addresses one of the major gaps in the research on graduated sanctions by examining perceptions of graduated sanction severity through the administration of surveys to offenders under active supervision. Survey results revealed several important findings. First, offenders do not view jail as being substantially more punitive than community-based sanctions such as community service or electronic monitoring. Second, offenders viewed treatment-oriented sanctions as being more punitive than other graduated sanctions. Third, offender perceptions of graduated sanctions were influenced by a variety of individual characteristics such as gender, age, and education level.
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