Prison Rentry

In this week’s lesson we have been discussing release from incarceration or otherwise known as parole. When any inmate has been given parole they have to be re- introduced to society. Some fortunately go back and adjust really well, while others not so much. Being incarcerated for years everything you once knew is not what it was when you went in. In this week’s assignment I will discuss basically what the reentry process is, how effective it is, and what is meant by program alignment.

Reentry can be defined as the process in which a criminal has been incarcerated for some time and it being granted a release back into society. With this being taken place they must have served most or their entire sentence that has been given to them while on parole or probation. The reentry process involves the inmate going thru programs that are promoted to effectively reprogram them to adjust back into society after their release. Such programs often involve self – improvement strategies. Such programs would be taught to help the inmate with life skills needed for success in society and help them work towards becoming a law abiding citizen. Many different programs are used to help inmates with this process such as “the prerelease program, drug rehabilitation, vocational training, and work release” (Minor,G(2012)). With the reentry process there are many different affects that take place when a person moves from one society to another. Many stresses are brought on such as where to get a job, where to live, and if I need help who will be there for me? An inmate making a move quickly and not having time to adjust can cause them to fall back in their old ways because of stress and frustration, defeating the whole process of the release. An inmate’s whom is being release back into society needs support to get started and on the right track to better their life and keep them from going back to jail. The help in getting a job can steer them away from stealing what they need and the support can help steer them away from cravings they may have had in the past with drugs or alcohol. The main objective with this process is to stop recidivism which is where someone who has been in jail and release cannot handle life and returns back to jail because of the stress and unable to handle life. With this process being used yearly and with “over 600,000 inmates being released, and over 95% of inmates across the United States will be release in the future”( Nunez, B. (2008)), what is the effectiveness of this program. “The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has estimated that two-thirds of all released prisoners will commit new offenses or recidivate within three years of their release” (Nunez, B. (2008)). Studies have been done to show that reentry initiatives combined with training for work, counseling, and help with housing can reduce the rate of returning inmates. “According to the BJS, the average per prisoner cost of incarceration in state prison in 2001 was $62 per day, or $22,650 per year and costs for those incarcerated in federal prison was similar. Overall, the states spent $38 billion on their correctional systems in 2001, the most recent year for which data are available” (Nunez, B. (2008)). With these statics and costs we can see that taking the extra time with the reentry process for inmates can help reduce the amount of reentering inmates back in jail and save the taxpayers money because of non-returning inmates back in jail. Finally what is meant by the program alignment? With alignment program parole/probation officers help released inmates both physically and mentally. Upon leaving the jail an inmate does not have a job to survive in the world. Parole officers in my community work with local businesses such as Tyson Foods, Feed Mills, etc. trying to help set up inmates an interview when they get out. The parole officer will also discuss and go over what to where, how to talk, and to be truthful. It will then be up to the inmate to go in the interview and retain the job. Once the job is retained the parole officer will then randomly check up on the inmate to make sure that they are still abiding by the laws and working. Also some inmates will want to continue education. Parole officers can get in contact with the local Community College and set up meetings for the inmate to work towards their GRD or even further there college. Finally so inmates had and still have drug or alcohol problems upon getting released and the parole officer will help get the inmate help to recover his addictions. This is a long process and parole officers know that it just does not happen overnight but they try to help the inmates as much as possible without doing the job, school work, or rehabilitation classes for them. Their job is to make sure you try to clean your life up by helping the inmate get their foot in the doors that are going to help with self-awareness and prosperity. In conclusion we can see that the reentry process can be very helpful if taken seriously by inmates coming up from parole. Inmates need to go through programs of self-awareness to help them when the time comes for them to be let back into society. Being incarcerated for years everything you once knew is not what it was when you went in. In this week’s assignment I have discussed basically what the reentry process is, how effective it is, and what is meant by program alignment.

Reference:
Minor, G. (2012) What is Reentry? : http://www.kentuckyreentry.org/what_is_reentry.html
Nunez, B. (2008) Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism: http://www.lieberman.senate.gov/assets/pdf/crs/offenderreentry.pdf