What is Prisoner Reentry?
More people are leaving prisons across the country to return to their families and communities than at any other time in our history. Nationally, over 600,000 individuals (or 1,700 a day) were released from state and federal prisons in 2000, a fourfold increase over the past two decades. From a number of perspectives, the issue of how people fare after they exit the prison gates has received renewed attention. Not only are more prisoners returning home than ever before, but they are also returning less prepared for life on the outside. Many will experience difficulty managing the most basic ingredients of successful reintegration-reconnecting with jobs, housing and their families, and accessing needed substance abuse and health care treatment. Most will be rearrested within three years, and many will be returned to prison for new crimes or parole violations. The cycle of incarceration and reentry into society carries the potential for profound adverse consequences for prisoners, their
