Best Practices for the Reintegration of Offenders Into the Community

Introduction

More than two million people are incarcerated in the United States (Prison Policy Initiative [PPI], United States, [U.S.], 2020). The vast majority of those jailed were in state prisons (1,047,000), local jails (514,000), and federal prisons (209,000) (PPI, US, 2020). Black people represented the largest population of offenders per 100,000 at 2,306 followed by American Indians/ Alaska Natives at 895, Hispanics at 831, and Whites at 450. Thousands of other Americans are under community supervision or community corrections such as parole or probation, local jails, and halfway houses (PPI, U.S., 2020). According to Carson (2021), the incarceration rate for U.S. residents across all race/ethnic groups decreased by 12% to 16% from 2019 and 2020. The Federal and state prison population incarceration rate decreased by 15% compared to 2019 (Carson, 2021). The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) population increased by 5,200 admissions in that same period, representing only a 3% increase (Carson, 2021). Even with decreases in incarceration rates, the U.S. continues to have the highest incarceration rate in the world (World Population Review, 2023).

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) defines recidivism as the rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration within the first 3 years of release (NIJ, 2022). The rate of recidivism is a common measure used to determine the reasons why prison populations change (Berry & Wiener, 2020; National Institute of Justice [NIJ], 2022). The percentage of offenders convicted of an offense 1 year post-release was 22%, two years was 38%, and three years was 45% (CDCR, 2023). Meitl (2021) reported that as many as 83% of ex-offenders were rearrested on a new offense. Males are more likely to reoffend than women (CDCR, 2023). The three largest race/ethnicity groups released from prison during the fiscal year 2017–18 were Hispanic (n = 15,821), White (n = 9,101), and Black/African American (n = 8,475). Of those released, the conviction rate was 46% for Hispanics and Whites and 43% for Black/African Americans over a 3-year period(CDCR, 2023).

This chapter examines barriers to reintegrating offenders into the community. These barriers include the lack of transportation and housing as well as challenges in obtaining employment. Other barriers offenders face include insufficient medical, mental health, and substance abuse/addiction care. This chapter also evaluates recidivism reduction strategies and community-based organizations' role in helping offenders transition into the community. Finally, this chapter provides recommendations on the best practices for reintegrating offenders.