Offender’s Views of Reentry: Implications for Processes, Programs and Services

Abstract

The offender returning to the community is confronted with a number of challenges to become a member of the community. The challenges range from economic and psychological obstacles to sociological barriers. Essentially, very little is understood about these challenges to reintegration (Maruno, 2000; Travis, Solomon, & Wiel, 2000; Taxman, Young, Byrne, Holsinger & Anspach, 2001). With nearly 70 percent of I offenders returning to prison within three years (Beck & Shipley, 1989), the Department of Justice has fostered a new assessment of reentry processes to improve community crime reduction effects. The focus is on the offender returning from prison back into the community. The question confronting program designers is how to build reentry processes that reinforce the message of accountability and individual responsibility, while also attending to the issues about the offender’s regaining legitimacy in society.