Publications

Denying Parole at First Eligibility: How Much Public Safety Does It Actually Buy?
Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending (2009)

This study followed for four years 76,721 Michigan prisoners released for the first time between 1986 and 1999 to determine whether they came back to prison for a new crime or parole violation. Researchers concluded that denying parole when prisoners first become eligible does very little to reduce crime rates.

Enhancing Rural Reentry through Housing Partnerships: A Handbook for Community Corrections Agencies in Rural Areas
Family Justice (2009)

Rather than dictating a course of action, this handbook is meant to spur consideration and collaboration and share what Family Justice has learned about rural housing and reentry. It discusses potentially beneficial partnerships that community corrections departments can cultivate to fully tap resources and expertise. The handbook also suggests various strategies to increase housing options for people coming home from jail and prison—and for their families.

Maximum Impact: Targeting Supervision on Higher-Risk People, Places and Times
The Pew Center on the States' Public Safety Performance Project (2009)

At a time when states are facing historic budget deficits, state leaders can prevent a large share of the nation’s criminal activity and cut corrections costs by helping probation and parole agencies focus their efforts on higher-risk offenders, in higher-risk neighborhoods, at higher-risk times through a strategy of targeted supervision, according to this policy brief from the Pew Center on the States.

The Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Rethinking Policies and Practices
Vera Institute of Justice (2009)

Based on a survey of enacted FY2010 state budgets and other recent sentencing and corrections legislation, this report found that at least 26 states have reversed the trend of recent decades and cut funding for corrections. This report examines the form of these cuts, including reductions in operational costs, reforms in release policy, and strategies for reducing recidivism, and it highlights some of the innovations that states are pursuing for long-term savings while also maintaining public safety.

Cutting Corrections Costs: Earned Time Policies for State Prisoners
National Conference of State Legislatures (2009)

"Earned time" programs, which reward prisoners for participation in education and work programs, have been successfully implemented in 31 states, and have generated impressive economic gains, according to this report.

The Joyce Foundation's Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration: Testing Strategies to Help Former Prisoners Find and Keep Jobs and Stay Out of Prison
MDRC (2009)

The TJRD project is one of the largest and most rigorous evaluations of employment programs for former prisoners since the 1970s. The results, available in mid-2010, should provide solid evidence about the effectiveness of transitional jobs, which will inform both public policy and program practice at the federal, state, and local levels.

Status of Ex-Offender Reentry Efforts in Cities
U.S. Conference of Mayors (2009)

In preparation for 2009's Annual Conference of Mayors in Providence, the Ex-Offender Task Force asked mayors to describe how they were meeting the challenges posed by the return of growing numbers of ex-offenders. This report presents their responses.

Road to Reintegration: Ensuring Successful Community Reentry for People Who Are Former Offenders (Executive Summary)
Goodwill Industries International (2009)

Goodwill Industries® calls upon key stakeholders — including state and federal policymakers, judges, law enforcement officials, service providers (including local Goodwill® agencies), educators, employers, and victims — to come together to create an environment that will hold people accountable and support individuals with criminal backgrounds who want to reintegrate into their communities and make positive contributions.

Road to Reintegration: Ensuring Successful Community Reentry for People Who Are Former Offenders
Goodwill Industries International (2009)

As the nation’s largest provider of job-training services, Goodwill Industries® is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the successful reintegration of ex-offenders and former prisoners into mainstream society. A number of Goodwill agencies already run a variety of programs that are designed to help people who are former offenders and former prisoners find and keep jobs, and provide help for housing, substance abuse, and health and mental health issues.

"Redemption" in an Era of Widespread Criminal Background Checks
NIJ Journal (2009)

Is it possible to determine empirically when it is no longer necessary for an employer to be concerned about a criminal offense in a prospective employee's past?

Getting Ready: How Arizona Has Created a "Parallel Universe" for Inmates
NIJ Journal (2009)

Getting Ready is a common-sense approach to pre-release preparation that begins on day one of incarceration and continues to the conclusion of every inmate's sentence. The program is a bottom-up, systemwide reform that can be implemented without enabling legislation or new funds. Getting Ready redefines the officer-offender relationship, shifting many responsibilities from the staff to the inmates and empowering both groups to function at substantively higher levels than in other correctional systems.

Avoiding Failures of Implementation: Lessons from Process Evaluations
Center for Court Innovation (2009)

Part of a multi-faceted inquiry into failure undertaken by the Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, this paper examines failures that occur during the implementation of a new initiative, seeking to identify common sources of failure and to develop a basic list of considerations that may help practitioners avoid future pitfalls.

Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California: Phase I Report
RAND Corporation (2009)

The first phase of this study used a variety of approaches to assess the health care needs of California prisoners upon their release, the geographic distribution of state prisoners who return to local communities, and the health care services that are available in these communities. A statewide analysis of data from a survey of inmates, geocoded corrections data on California parolees and cluster analysis, and a focused analysis of the four counties in which nearly one-third of California parolees reside (Alameda, Kern, Los Angeles, and San Diego) provide policymakers with a picture of communities' capacity to meet the needs of parolees and other underserved populations.

Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice

To ensure law enforcement policies and practices related to people with mental illnesses are data driven and well-informed, this guide summarizes the available research on law enforcement encounters with people with mental illnesses and strategies to improve these interactions.

When Relatives Return: Interviews with Family Members of Returning Prisoners in Houston, Texas
Urban Institute (2009)

This research brief examines the challenges of incarceration and reentry from the perspective of family members in Houston, Texas. Prior research documents that returning prisoners expect and receive high levels of support from family after release, and that those who have access to family support fare better than those who do not on a range of reentry outcomes. Given the potential value of involving family in reentry planning, this report offers useful information about the family members who are closest to returning prisoners and the challenges they face in supporting their relatives.

Women on the Outside: Understanding the Experiences of Female Prisoners Returning to Houston, Texas
The Urban Institute (2009)

This research report explores the unique experiences of women exiting prison, focusing on a representative sample of 142 women who were released from Texas prisons and state jails in 2005 and returned to Houston communities. It describes the challenges women face in obtaining housing, reuniting with family, and avoiding drug use and criminal behavior after their return to the community. Recommendations for improvements in policies and practices specific to increasing the successful reintegration of women are also presented.

Prisoner Reentry in Houston: Community Perspectives
Urban Institute (2009)

This research brief explores prisoner reentry from the perspective of Houston stakeholders and community members.

Separate Branches, Shared Responsibilities: A National Survey of Public Expectations on Solving Justice Issues
National Center for State Courts (2009)

Americans expect the three branches of government to work together to solve state problems such as prison overcrowding and caring for abused and neglected children, according to a new nationwide public opinion survey released by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). The poll is believed to be the first ever survey to measure the public’s perceptions of how the executive, legislative and judicial branches work together on public policy issues that affect the administration of justice.

Kinship Care When Parents Are Incarcerated: What We Know, What We Can Do
Annie E. Casey Foundation (2009)

This paper explores the role of kinship care for children of parents currently incarcerated. It examines the involvement of the child welfare system in children’s care during this time, as well as describes what the current research tells us about what can be done to develop more compassionate social policies and programs geared toward this population of children.

Mothers, Infants and Imprisonment: A National Look at Prison Nurseries and Community-Based Alternatives
Women's Prison Association (2009)

In this report, WPA highlights two different responses to women who give birth while under criminal justice supervision: prison nurseries and community-based residential parenting programs. The report provides an overview of both types of programs, reviews the literature on the subject, and offers recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.