Publications

From Corrections to Community: The Juvenile Reentry Experience as Characterized By Multiple Systems Involvement
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago (2009)

This report describes findings on the extent of system involvement among Illinois youth released from correctional facilities, tracking a population of youth under age 18 in Illinois following their release. Using administrative records, researchers develop profiles of reentry experiences across the many systems that serve youth and their families. Researchers examined their involvement with school, public assistance, foster care, and government-assisted services for health, mental health, and substance abuse needs. Because involvement in multiple services as part of the reentry experience is likely to impact the chances of reoffending, this body of information will be valuable to policymakers and practitioners.

Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
Center for Juvenile Justice Reform / Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative (2009)

This paper discusses the successes and challenges that juvenile justice and child welfare agencies face in preparing the youth they serve for a successful adulthood. The paper describes assessment, case management, and other practices implemented in either system that have shown promise in improving outcomes for the transition-age population. It also highlights organizational and legislative changes that have positioned these agencies to provide effective, individualized, and developmentally appropriate services to older youth and their families.

The Effects of Postsecondary Correctional Education: Final Report
Urban Institute (2009)

Increasing educational proficiency has shown promise as one strategy for assisting inmates in finding gainful employment after release and ending their involvement with the criminal justice system. This report examines the effect of prison-based postsecondary education (PSE) on offenders both while incarcerated and after release. In three states, prisoners who participated in PSE were less likely to recidivate during the first year after release.

Reentry Law Project Small Business Toolkit
New York City Bar Justice Center (2009)

This toolkit is designed to give New Yorkers an overview of legal issues that may come up for persons with criminal convictions who want to start a new business or move forward with a business they already have begun.

Getting Back on Track, Effects of a Community College Program for Probationary Students
mdrc (2009)

This report describes findings from a random assignment study of two versions of a program for students on probation at Chaffey College, a community college in Rancho Cucamonga, approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles.

1 in 31, The Long Reach of Corrections
The Pew Center on the States’ Public Safety Performance Project (2009)

The number of people on probation or parole has skyrocketed to more than 5 million, up from 1.6 million just 25 years ago. This means that 1 in 45 adults in the United States is now under criminal justice supervision in the community, and that combined with those in prison and jail, a stunning 1 in every 31 adults, or 3.2 percent, is under some form of correctional control.

Maryland’s Parole Supervision Fee: A Barrier to Reentry
Brennan Center for Justice (2009)

Implemented nearly two decades ago during a national wave of new supervision fees, the Maryland policy was intended to raise extra revenue for general state functions. However, our research shows that the fee is largely uncollectible due to the dire financial situation in which parolees find themselves and that the paper debt it creates does more harm than good.

Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Corporation for Supportive Housing's Pilot Program: Interim Report (Oct 2007 - Sept 2008)
Urban Institute (2009)

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Corporation for Supportive Housing Ohio Office developed a pilot program that provides permanent supportive housing to individuals released from several Ohio prisons. The Pilot intends to reduce recidivism and homelessness/shelter usage and decrease the costs associated with multiple service system use. The Urban Institute is evaluating the Pilot to explore whether it is meeting its intended goals. This Interim Report covers the first year of the evaluation—describing the Pilot and its eligibility requirements; the UI evaluation methods; and the characteristics and preliminary outcomes of the Pilot's first 57 clients.

Reentry Resource Guide

This guide provides a list of resources for state and local governments, Indian tribes, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, and others interested in developing prisoner reentry initiatives that reflect evidence-based practices and lessons learned from the field. Many sections of this guide address issues that are frequently the focus of reentry efforts, such as education and literacy, employment, housing, mentoring, mental health, and substance abuse recovery. Other sections list resources that have been developed for particular audiences, such as law enforcement, state and local government, and community and faith-based partners. Each section includes three different types of resources: practical guides and tools, which provide “how-to” guidance on the particular subject; reference materials, which include statistical information and academic research; and websites of organizations that offer additional information. Many resources cut across several categories, and may be listed in more than one section.

SECOND CHANCE ACT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT GRANTS: A Checklist for States, Local Governments, and Indian Tribes

The checklist and accompanying appendices that follow are meant to help potential applicants for the demonstration project grant program understand its provisions and focus their discussions on how best to meet its requirements; they are not, however, part of the grant solicitation.

Victim Impact: Listen and Learn
Office for Victims of Crime (2009)

The Victim Impact curriculum uses a victim-centered approach that is designed to help facilitators in their efforts to make offenders more aware of the impact that crime has on victims, to take responsibility for their actions, and begin to make amends.

Women’s Advocacy Project 2009 Policy Recommendations: Investing in Education in Prisons and Communities
Women's Prison Association (2009)

Women’s Voices: Advocacy by Criminal Justice- Involved Women
Women's Prison Association (2009)

This report spotlights the efforts of women around the country who are rolling up their sleeves, using their voices, and working to reduce our nation's reliance on incarceration.

Recommendations: Using the New Prevention and Re-Housing Funds
National Alliance to End Homelessness (2009)

Recommendations for how to use the housing funds included in the Economic Recovery Act to prevent homelessness.

Topics in Brief: Treating Offenders with Drug Problems: Integrating Public Health and Public Safety
National Institute on Drug Abuse (2009)

Research demonstrates that providing treatment to individuals involved in the criminal justice system decreases future drug use and criminal behavior while improving social functioning. Blending the functions of criminal justice supervision with drug abuse treatment and support optimally serves both public health and public safety concerns.

The Impact of Marital and Relationship Status on Social Outcomes for Returning Prisoners
Urban Institute (2009)

While a large body of empirical research indicates that marriage is associated with criminal activity, to date little research exists on the effects of relationship status on a population of offenders returning to their communities. This study uses data on over 650 former prisoners to examine the impact of relationships on recidivism, substance use, and employment during this critical period of re-entry. Findings suggest that marriage cut the odds of recidivism and drug use in half when compared to those in casual relationships.

The State of Sentencing 2008, Developments in Policy and Practice
The Sentencing Project (2009)

This report highlights a number of key state-level criminal justice policy developments that occurred during 2008.

Healthcare in New York Prisons, 2004-2007
Correctional Association of New York (2009)

The New York State Assembly requested that the Correctional Association (CA) provide its Health and Corrections Committees with an assessment of healthcare in New York State prisons.

Navigating the Child Support System: Lessons from the Fathers at Work Initiative
Public / Private Ventures (2009)

Navigating the Child Support System provides information, resources and tools to use at the intersection of workforce development and child support enforcement. The guide describes child support enforcement regulations, policies and actions that can affect fathers' willingness to seek formal employment and participate in the system, and provides examples of four services that organizations might offer to benefit fathers and their families.

Incarcerated Parents and Their Children
The Sentencing Project (2009)

This briefing paper evaluates data from reports compiled by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics2 citing data from 1997, 2004, and 2007. It also includes information from and comparisons to data from 1991, where possible, to allow analysis of trends over the last two decades.