Offender re-entry programs consist of the activities and practices brought together to prepare convicts to reintegrate into the community safely and successfully to become law-abiding citizens. Re-entry programs may be preparing offenders while they are still in prison, immediately after their release, or maybe focused on offering long-term assistance and supervision. A significant number of ex-inmates must be subjected to supervision as a requirement of their release, especially for the sake of the safety of the general population. The justice department and correctional facilities use a variety of mechanisms to release these offenders. In some cases, offenders are released on probation before serving any sentence in prison or jail under strict supervision. Others may be incarcerated for some time, after which they are freed before the end of their term on parole, to finish their sentence in the community, also under supervision. Re-entry programs are parole, probation, access to healthcare services, financial and lodging assistance, re-entry into the job market, and family or community support. They are primarily important because they help reduce recidivism rates and keep the communities safe.
Probation is a re-entry program mainly used for individuals who have committed crimes the judge does not deem severe enough to incarcerate them and subject them to community supervision. These offenders are given conditions to adhere to and are assigned probation officers with whom they must check in regularly. Suppose they fail to adhere to these conditions, they may be incarcerated. On the other hand, parole involves the offender being released from a correctional facility before their sentence expires. A parole agency bears the responsibility of supervising these individuals. Some inmates prefer to wear out their sentences to avoid being watched all the time (Parole.nv.gov, 2021). The legislature enacts the possibility for parole, and the corrections department must certify that the individual has qualified.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Re-entry programs include helping the ex-offender secure employment, which is crucial for an individual to settle in society. Employment is purposed to provide social contact, structure, and a healthy routine while also improving the individual's self-esteem, confidence, and efficacy. The job also provides them with income to sustain themselves without having to result to crime again (Jonson, 2015). Individuals who lack housing and finances face a higher risk of re-offending. The lodging and financial assistance programs seek to ensure that they have housing and funds to help them transition. Most ex-convicts are in dire need of social security and healthcare. They may face financial, discrimination, or self-doubt challenges accessing these services, and these programs may establish a link to access them before the release or after. Family support seeks to reunite the offender with family members to ease their transition and reduce re-offending chances.
Recidivism is the tendency of an ex-convict to re-offend, and it is a community and government issue. Recidivism happens when inmates are released and expected to cope with new challenges without assistance. The pressure from stigma, discrimination, resentment, unemployment, lack of finances, and other services leads them back to crime ( Ndrecka ,2014). A considerable percentage of inmates, even after release, suffer from drug addiction and other mental health conditions. Their freedom means starting over in a new society, and this is why re-entry programs are crucial. They offer the individuals training on jobs, acquire employment and housing, and access mental and overall health care. Re-entry programs are also vital in guiding ex-convicts towards avoidance and resistance, and recovery.
One of the advantages of re-entry programs is that they keep the community safe. Helping ex-convicts settle in the community prevents them from having offending thoughts and keeping the general population safe. Additionally, they improve the individuals' lives. These people may have been initially unemployed, and homeless but they receive a boost to restart their lives. They also help reduce the impact of social stigma and improve the health of involved individuals ( Ndrecka ,2014). On the contrary, these programs are a disadvantage because they allow offenders back into society before they have reformed fully. They also use numerous resources without a guarantee of the individuals reintegrating successfully.
Although the day they are released is the happiest day for them, an inmate may face significant challenges when returning to society. One of these is the challenges of securing a job. Most employers shy away from offering employment to a fresh person from prison because they are afraid the individual may re-offend. Although they could maneuver that, employers ask for explanations on the gap regarding their experience, which raises questions of why they were incarcerated. The job-market re-entry program can be ideal in helping such individuals. They may connect them with employers or refer them to organizations that are likely to employ them regardless of their status (Gill, 2017). Some ex-convicts take courses and training in school and coming to their release, and they are equipped with skills and knowledge some employers need. The program can help the released inmates find employers or vice versa and enhance a smooth transition.
Most ex-convicts do not know where to begin. These individuals have to reconnect with families (for some), find employment, secure a house, and also find the money for self-sustenance. Without guidance, they almost always end up back in the streets and re-offending because they lacked a starting point. This challenge is expected mainly in the ex-convicts who were incarcerated in their youth. They find numerous changes in all aspects of society and may not even know where to locate anyone they knew before their sentencing. These ex-convicts require help from the financial aid and lodging programs. This program would help them find a place they can stay while they go through the reintegration process and funds to survive before they find a job. Ex-inmates facing this challenge can also be helped with training and education programs. They may be presented with opportunities to learn new courses and societal aspects or trained on specific tasks that can help them secure employment much faster.
Another challenge is mental health disorders, especially considering they rarely receive treatment when in incarceration. Ex-inmates suffering from anxiety, depression, drug addiction, psychosis, and other issues may also have difficulties performing other tasks such as securing employment or a house (Gill, 2017). Re-entry programs that provide access to health care and social security would be best suited to assist these individuals in acquiring the mental health care they need without discrimination before the conditions lead them to re-offend.
Inmates, upon their release, also face the challenge of family strain. This is because most of these individuals rely primarily on their families as they reintegrate, and family members can sacrifice and stretch extensively to help their loved ones (Jonson, 2015). This may lead to emotional, psychological, and financial strain for the family. Families sometimes struggle with understanding what their loved ones must or must not do to stay on the right side of the law. Such issues may subject the ex-inmate and families to stress. Family support programs would help these families and the convict to gain stability in such times. They may contact the family before release and prepare them about the factors and educate them on supporting the individual.
References
Gill, C., & Wilson, D. B. (2017). Improving the success of re-entry programs: Identifying the impact of service–need fit on recidivism. Criminal Justice and Behavior , 44 (3), 336-359.
Johnson, C. L., & Cullen, F. T. (2015). Prisoner re-entry programs. Crime and justice , 44 (1), 517-575.
Ndrecka, M. (2014). The impact of re-entry programs on recidivism: A meta-analysis (Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati).
Parole.nv.gov. 2021. Parole Board . [online] Available at: <http://parole.nv.gov/> [Accessed 8 April 2021].
