Help for Inmates 

RE-ENTRY

Transition Services are Vital.  In 2013, nearly 720,000 people were released from state and federal prisons and juvenile facilities. Many times, inmates are released with little or no advance notice – even in the middle of the night. Many inmates come from poor inner-city neighborhoods. Without adequate preparation and support for life after prison or jail, the chances are great that inmates with drug use problems will return to their former situations and lifestyles. This may lead to drug use, possible infection with HIV, re-arrest, and return to prison.  Two-thirds of all parolees are rearrested within 3 years – most within the first 6 months after release. In 1980, rearrests accounted for 17 percent of all prison admissions. They now make up 40 percent.  In a recent study of male and female inmates in nearly 30 percent of the inmates who had used drugs or alcohol and had served time previously stated that their abuse of drugs was a “very important factor” in their return to jail.

 

More and more, communities and correctional facilities are recognizing that all inmates, especially those with substance abuse, mental health, or other problems, need help when they return to their communities. They are acknowledging that helping inmates successfully return to their communities pays off for the inmates and their families. It also benefits corrections and communities by reducing drug use and crime.

 

Each year, more than 700,000 former inmates from state and federal institutions return to communities throughout the U.S. Many of these men and women are returning to resource-poor neighborhoods, and the only positive place available they have to turn is to a local and trusted faith-based or community organization. As more and more prisoners are released into America’s communities, it is increasingly vital to connect them with sustainable employment and caring mentors to keep them from relapsing into a life of criminal activity. Oftentimes, faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) are uniquely well positioned to provide quality transitional services to men and women returning from prison.

 

Local FBCO reentry programs can provide ex-prisoners with the compassion and services they need to thrive in the communities they are returning to. Placing ex-prisoners in steady employment that matches their abilities and needs is an important effort that helps ensure the safety of America’s streets and the successful integration of ex-prisoners into America’s communities. Recidivism is a vicious cycle of crime, prison, more crime, re-imprisonment, and so on. Statistics show that more than two-thirds of released prisoners will be charged with new crimes within three years following their release, and over half will be re-incarcerated.

 

According to criminal justice experts, an attachment to the labor force through stable employment, in concert with family and community connections, is a key element in helping ex-prisoners break this cycle. Oftentimes, former inmates face numerous barriers to successful employment, including: (1) employers often are hesitant to hire ex-prisoners for various reasons; (2) ex-prisoners often lack skills to properly market themselves to potential employers; and (3) ex-prisoners frequently lack the needed social supports that allow them to enter and remain in the workplace. These and other obstacles to reentry, such as substance abuse and housing, create a demand for structured reentry programs. Often times, employers in need of qualified workers are more likely to hire ex-prisoners who are supervised by a reentry program than those who are not. A well-structured and highly-regarded program can make a big difference in the lives of ex-prisoners in your community.

 

Each year, more than 700,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons.  Another

9 million cycle through local jails.  When reentry fails, the costs—both societal and economic—are high. Statistics indicate that more than two-thirds of state prisoners are rearrested within 3 years of their release and half are re-incarcerated.  High rates of recidivism mean more crime, more victims and more pressure on an already overburdened criminal justice system.

 

The costs of imprisonment and jail also wreak havoc on state and municipal budgets. In the past 20 years state, spending on corrections has grown at a faster rate than nearly any other state budget item. The U.S. now spends more than $68 billion on federal, state and local corrections.  Because reentry intersects with issues such as health and housing, education and employment, family, faith, and community well-being, many federal agencies are focusing on the reentry population with initiatives that aim to improve outcomes in each of these areas.

 

The Facts

 

Reentry is a public safety issue.

 

Nearly 2.3 million people are incarcerated in federal, state and local prisons at any given time. More than 95 percent of these individuals will be released back to their home communities.5 Failure on probation and parole is a key driver of prison admissions in many states; parole failure alone accounts for about one-third of new prison admissions each year.6 With the high rates of recidivism noted above, evidence based reentry strategies provide a major opportunity to increase public safety and reduce victimization.

 

Reentry is a public health issue.

 

Individuals released from prisons and jails represent a substantial share of the U.S. population carrying communicable diseases, accounting for nearly a quarter of the general population living with HIV or AIDS, almost a third of those with hepatitis C, and nearly 40 percent of people with tuberculosis.  Appropriate interventions – especially upon return to the community – present a significant public health opportunity.

 

Reentry is an employment issue.

 

Being employed is an important predictor of a former prisoner’s ability to stay crime free. While 2 out of every 3 men were employed before they were incarcerated, incarceration reduces their economic prospects substantially. A recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that incarceration reduces annual employment by more than two months and reduces yearly earnings by 40 percent.

 

Reentry is a housing issue.

 

A reciprocal relationship exists between incarceration and homelessness. Homelessness is associated with a higher risk for incarceration, and incarceration contributes to an increased risk of homelessness. A summary of studies on the homeless population showed that, on average, 18% had served time behind bars, with some studies showing a prior incarceration rate of almost 50%.

 

Reentry is an education issue.

 

Of the 20 fastest growing occupations, 13 require postsecondary education, with those occupations requiring an associate degree growing the fastest. Yet almost twice as many adult prisoners (37%) had less than a high school diploma (or its recognized equivalent), when compared to the general population (19%). Only 22% of adult prisoners have had any postsecondary experience, compared to over half (51%) of the general population.

 

Reentry is a behavioral health issue.

 

Approximately two thirds of people in prison meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence, but less than 15 percent of these individuals receive treatment after admission.  24 percent of individuals in State prisons have a recent history of mental illness, but only 34 percent of inmates with mental health problems report receiving any treatment after admission. This lack of needed behavioral health treatment continues and actually gets worse as individuals reenter the community.

 

The lack of community treatment capacity is reflected by the reality that, in some large cities, jails

house more people with mental illness than local hospitals.

 

Reentry is a juvenile justice issue.

 

About 100,000 juveniles are released from custody facilities each year. Youth often return to struggling families and disadvantaged neighborhoods. More than half of these youth have not completed the eighth grade and 66% do not return to school after release. Juvenile recidivism rates are estimated at about 50% to 70%.

Reentry is a veteran’s issue. More than 200,000 veterans are incarcerated in the nation’s prisons and jails. Among state prisoners, veterans had less extensive criminal histories than nonveterans (30% of veterans were first-time offenders, compared to 23% of other state prisoners). Access to health care, including mental health care, for newly released inmates is an important factor in keeping people from becoming homeless or returning to prison and jail.

 

Reentry is an Indian Country issue.

 

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are incarcerated at higher rates than the general population; at midyear 2009, tribal, federal, and state prison or jail authorities held 932 AI/AN individuals per 100,000 AI/AN residents—25% higher than the overall national incarceration rate of 747 per 100,000 people.  In addition, Indian Country unemployment rates average 49 percent with a high of up to 80 percent, depending on the reservation. High unemployment compounded with a lack of affordable and adequate housing magnifies challenges for returning individuals due to their criminal history.

 

Reentry is a family/fatherhood issue.

 

On any given day, one in 28 children has a parent behind bars. Communities of color are most broadly impacted; 1 in 9 African American children has a parent incarcerated.  One recent study estimates that 25% of African Americans born after 1990 will witness their father being sent to prison by their 14th birthday.  Studies show that children of incarcerated parents often struggle with anxiety,

depression, learning problems, and aggression – undermining their own chances to succeed.

 

Reentry is a community issue.

 

A large number of prisoners come from – and return to – a relatively small number of already disadvantaged neighborhoods. In many neighborhoods around the country, incarceration is no longer an unusual occurrence, but a commonplace experience – especially for young men of color.

 

In summary, reentry issues are complex and overlapping. An effective response to reentry challenges must therefore be multifaceted and involve multiple service delivery systems working together.

 

The number of people incarcerated in the United States grew steadily for nearly 30 years. That number has been slowly decreasing since 2008, but as of 2012 there were still over 2 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails across the country. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that since 1990 an average of 590,400 inmates have been released annually from state and federal prisons and almost 5 million ex-offenders are under some form of community-based supervision.

 

Nearly all prisoners will return to their communities as some point. Offender reentry can include all the activities and programming conducted to prepare prisoners to return safely to the community and to live as law-abiding citizens. Some ex-offenders, however, eventually end up back in prison. The BJS’s most recent study on recidivism showed that within five years of release nearly three-quarters (75%) of ex-offenders released in 2005 came back into contact with the criminal justice system, and more than half returned to prison after either being convicted for a new crime or for violating the conditions of their release. Compared with the average American, ex-offenders are less educated, less likely to be gainfully employed and more likely to have a history of mental illness or substance abuse—all of which have been shown to be risk factors for recidivism.

 

Three phases are associated with offender reentry programs:

 

• Programs that take place during incarceration, which aim to prepare offenders for their eventual release.

• Programs that take place during offenders’ release period, which seek to connect ex-offenders with the various services they may require.

• Long-term programs that take place as ex-offenders permanently reintegrate into their communities, which attempt to provide offenders with support and supervision.

 

There is a wide array of offender reentry program designs, and these programs can differ significantly in range, scope, and methodology. Researchers in the offender reentry field have suggested that the best programs begin during incarceration and extend throughout the release and reintegration process.  Despite the relative lack of highly rigorous research on the effectiveness of some reentry programs, an emerging “what works” literature suggests that programs focusing on work training and placement, drug and mental health treatment, and housing assistance have proven to be effective.

 

The federal government’s involvement in offender reentry programs typically occurs through grant funding, which is available through a wide array of federal programs at the Departments of Justice, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. However, only a handful of grant programs in the federal government are designed explicitly for offender reentry purposes.

 

The Department of Justice has started an interagency Reentry Council to coordinate federal reentry  efforts and advance effective reentry policies. The Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) was enacted on April 9, 2008. The act expanded the existing offender reentry grant program at the Department of Justice and created a wide array of targeted grant-funded pilot programs.

 

The most meaningful, long-range measure of any prison’s real effectiveness is—and ought to be—success in reducing the number of offenders who wind up back in prison once they are released.

 

The American public is growing increasingly impatient with the failure of correctional systems to significantly reduce the alarming rate at which ex-offenders are released into their communities ill-prepared to constructively engage in employment and socially positive behavior. The dilemma is that, while crime rates are down, incarceration rates continue to rise at a dramatic rate. In 2007, there were over 725,000 inmates released from state or federal jurisdiction. Of those released, nearly two-thirds will be rearrested within three years; the largest increase in the nation’s prisons is recycled offenders.

 

 

Many legislators are becoming more aware that modest targeted investments in firmly structured educational and drug treatment programs in prisons will have a positive personal impact on the offender, significantly reduce crime and victimization in our communities, and save millions of dollars in taxes, policing, and re-incarceration.

 

Trauma and mental health treatment are critical components of this process. The most meaningful, long-range measure of any prison’s real effectiveness is, and ought to be, success in reducing the number of offenders who are re-incarcerated after they are released. As it is, the US corrections system has basically become a revolving door for recycling criminal behavior, and these recycled offenders now account for 52% of the prison population. Sound correctional practice demands the inclusion of a variety of programs to address the many needs of the inmate population. Such an approach includes programs provided during the daily structured routine, that is, education, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, mental health and trauma treatment, and work. After the structured day, other programs (e.g. spiritual development, recreation, hobby crafts, library access, and personal wellness) are provided to help meet the full extent of what is needed to deter further criminal involvement.

 

 

Pre-release & Re-entry Resources

 

Pre-release and Parole

 

Employment Information Handbook

c/o National Institute of Corrections

320 First St. NW room 5002

Washington DC 20534

(202) 307-3198

www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/emp_info_handbk.pdf

Handbook assists employers who hire ex-offenders and federal programs to help ex-offenders, and more. Free upon written request or download online.

 

EXODUS MINISTRIES INC.

4630 Munger Avenue, Suite 110

Dallas TX 75204

(214) 827-3772

Provides a 20-unit apartment building in Texas for reentering mothers with child custody. 9-month program includes job, personal and financial counseling, and child care.

 

IMPACT PUBLICATIONS

9104-N Manassas Drive

Manassas Park VA 20111

(703) 361-7300

Series of handbooks with information for ex-offenders including:

Best Jobs for Ex-Offenders

Ex-Offender’s 30/30 Job Solution

Ex-Offender’s Job Interview Guide

Ex-Offender’s Quick Job Hunting Guide

Ex-Offender’s Re-Entry Success Guide

Re-Entry Employment and Life Skills Pocket Guide

Write for a free listing of other titles and an order form.

 

The National Reentry Resource Center

100 Wall Street, 20th Floor

New York, NY 10005

(877) 332-1719

csgjusticecenter.org/nrrc/

Does not offer direct services to individuals. Offers online resources for individuals returning home including an online resource listing reentry services, categorized by state:csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/reentry-service-directories/

 

SALVATION ARMY

6500 Harry Hines Blvd

Dallas TX 75235

(214) 956-6000

salvationarmytexas.org

Regularly updated listing of halfway houses, a free residential rehabilitation center, and Bible correspondence course for prisoners.

 

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF GOODWILLS

12400 Highway 71 West Suite 350

PMB #174

Austin TX 78738

(512) 263.8920

www.texasgoodwills.org

Walk-in job placement centers in many locations across Texas. Send a letter requesting a list of locations at the above address or look to website.

 

TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION

Labor Market Information Department

(866) 938-4444

www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdbs/wdbmap.html

Online directory to 28 local workforce development boards for job search resources, training programs, resume and application preparation, career development.