Reentry and Criminal Justice Resources
Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse in America's Prison Population (2010)
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reports on drug abuse among incarcerated individuals in the United States.
A Capitol Concern (2010)
The Justice Policy Institute examines the disproportionate impact of the justice system on low-income communities in Washington, D.C.
Childhood Disrupted: Understanding the Features and Effects of Maternal Incarceration (2010)
Volunteers of America commissioned this study on the impact of maternal incarceration on children.
Childhood Poverty Persistence: Facts and Consequences (2010)
The Urban Institute explores the dangers of persistent childhood poverty.
Cities Pave the Way: Promising Reentry Policies that Promote Local Hiring of People with Criminal Records (2010)
This helpful document from the National League of Cities showcases local government policies that help reduce barriers to employment for people with criminal records.
Collateral Costs: Incarceration’s Effect on Economic Mobility (2010)
Collateral Costs: Incarceration’s Effect on Economic Mobility To what extent does incarceration create lasting barriers to economic progress for formerly incarcerated people, their families and their children? What do these barriers mean for the American Dream, given the explosive growth of the prison population? This report is based on research by Dr. Bruce Western and Dr. Becky Pettit and was jointly authored by the Economic Mobility Project and the Public Safety Performance Project of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Coming Home From Jail: The Social and Health Consequences of Community Reentry for Women, Male Adolescents, and Their Families and Communities (2008)
This article, by the American Public Health Association, discusses the effect of prison reentry on a number of different populations.
The Continuing Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Setting a New Course (2010)
The Vera Institute of Justice comes up with some ideas for the future of the criminal justice system in the wake of the financial crisis.
Criminal Disenfranchisement Laws Across the United States (2010)
The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law provides a map detailing states with laws that disenfranchise people with felony convictions.
Criminal Justice Debt: A Barrier to Reentry (2010)
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law examines how criminal justice fees can increase recidivism when prisoners return to society in debt.
Criminal Justice Trends: Key Legislative Changes in Sentencing Policy, 2001–2010 (2010)
The Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Sentencing and Corrections examines sentencing trends of the past decade.
County-Based and Local Public Defender Offices, 2007 (2010)
The Bureau of Justice Statistics outlines the availability of public defender resources across the country in 2007.
Doing Time: Good Practice with Older People in Prison (2010)
The Prison Reform Trust report features best practices for dealing with aging prison populations as described by prison staff.
Early Warning!: Why Reading by the End of the Third Grade Matters (2010)
As part of its "Kids Count" initiative, the Annie E. Casey Foundation explores the effects the dangers of illiteracy at an early age. This report shows the importance of parental involvement in childhood development.
Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997-2010 (2010)
Nicole D. Porter of the Sentencing Project examines how states are confronting the issue of felony disenfranchisement.
Getting Beyond Failure: Promising Approaches for Reducing DMC (2010)
Ashley Nellis and Brad Richardson discuss approaches for reducing disproportionate minority contact/confinement for the journal, Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice.
Human Services in Illinois: A Point-in-Time Review of the Current System (2010)
This expansive document from the Illinois Human Services Commission covers all human services in Illinois. Safer Foundation contributed the section on corrections.
Incarceration and Social Inequality (2010)
Bruce Western and Becky Pettit discuss how incarceration is a result of and helps to create greater social inequality.
In for a Penny: The Rise of America's New Debtors' Prisons (2010)
This ACLU report details how criminal justice costs lead to debt for inmates as they return to society.
It's About Time: Aging Prisoners, Increasing Costs, and Geriatric Release (2010)
The Vera Institute reports on the high costs of caring for aging prisoners in the United States.
Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency? (2010)
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention examines the effectiveness of juvenile transfer laws.
Low-Income Fathers Need to Get Connected (2010)
The Center for American Progress examines the importance of the involvement of low-income fathers in their children's lives.
Major U.S. Cities and Counties Adopt Hiring Policies to Remove Unfair Barriers to Employment of People with Criminal Records (2010)
The National Employment Law Project provides a helpful overview of some of the actions taken by communities to reduce barriers to the employment of people with criminal records.
Making Policing More Affordable: Managing Costs and Measuring Value in Policing (2010)
The Kennedy School at Harvard University and the National Institute of Justice published this review of policing expenditures, written by George Gascon and Todd Foglesong.
The Management of Gang Issues Among Children and Young People in Prison Custody and the Community (2010)
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in the United Kingdom focuses on how British prisons and communities confront gang affiliations.
The Missouri Model: Reinventing the Practice of Rehabilitating Youthful Offenders (2010)
This Annie E. Casey Foundation report, by Richard Mendel, discusses the effectiveness of Missouri's unique approach to juvenile justice.
More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals: A Survey of the States (2010)
The National Sheriffs Association and the Treatment Advocacy Center teamed up for this report on the number of mentally ill people incarcerated in jails and prisons.
National Research of Public Attitudes Toward Crime and Punishment (2010)
This Public Opinion Strategies report shows that Americans care first and foremost about keeping communities safe but also favor reducing prison costs/populations.
A New Start: A Reentry Guide for Texas (2010)
This expansive document from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition focuses on reentry programs in Texas.
Prison Mental Health: Vision and Reality (2010)
The Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom studies the mental health of prisoners in the British criminal justice system.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and victimization among female prisoners in Illinois (2010)
This report by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority deals with mental health issues, particularly PTSD and victimization, among female prisoners in Illinois.
Racial Disparities in Federal Prosecutions (2010)
A joint project of the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Institute on Law and Equity, this report discusses racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Reaching a Higher Ground: Increasing Employment Opportunities for People with Prior Convictions (2010)
The Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice issued this report on employment opportunities for people with criminal records.
The Real Costs and Benefits of Change: Finding Opportunities for Reform During Difficult Fiscal Times (2010)
The National Juvenile Justice Network discusses how policy changes could relieve the cost of juvenile justice programs during tough economic times.
Reclaiming Futures Webinar (2010)
Slides from a presentation on disproportionate minority contact/confinement by James Bell of the W. Haywood Burns Institute.
Recidivism and Weapons (2010)
The State of Connecticut's Public Policy and Planning Division examines the high recidivism rates of people incarcerated on weapons charges.
Roadmap for Evidence-Based Practices in Community Corrections (2010)
The Crime and Justice Institute at Community Resources for Justice provides a best practice report for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
State Recidivism Studies (2010)
The Sentencing Project compiles a series of recidivism studies for states around the country.
Suspended Education: Urban Middle Schools in Crisis (2010)
Daniel J. Losen and Russell Skiba examine school suspensions for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Throwing Away the Key: The Expansion of Life Without Parole Sentences in the United States (2010)
In this article for Federal Sentencing Reporter, Ashley Nellis of the Sentencing Project examines the rise of life sentences without parole over the past couple decades.
Transitional Jobs: Background, Program Models, and Evaluation Evidence (2010)
Dan Bloom reports for MDRC on the best practices for transitional employment upon release from prison.
Understanding the Maze: If Your Child Has Contact with the Law (2010)
This guide was made possible through the collaboration of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Youth (ICC) Court Involved Work Group and the Parent Assistance Sub-Work Group and it provides information for parents whose children have become in contact with the criminal justice system.
WSIPP’S Benefit-Cost Tool for States: Examining Policy Options in Sentencing and Corrections (2010)
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy examines the costs and benefits of corrections spending.
Decades of Disparity: Drug Arrests and Race in the United States (2009)
Human Rights Watch examines the increase in drug arrests over the past three decades in the United States and how they disproportionately impact minority communities.
The First Line of Defense: Reducing Recidivism at the Local Level (2009)
This is the transcript of testimony provided by Amy L. Solomon, a Senior Research Associate at the Justice Policy Center of the Urban Institute at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs during which she describes the importance of community based programs that reduce recidivism.
The Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Rethinking Policies and Practices (2009)
Christine S. Scott-Hayward of the Vera Institute of Justice examines state budgets to see how different localities are handling corrections spending during the recession.
GED Testing Program Statistical Report (2009)
The American Council on Education reports on 2008 data and discusses who lacks a high school education and who is taking the GED.
Homicide and Gun Violence in Chicago: Evaluation and Summary of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program (2009)
A review of the research conducted during Project Safe Neighborhoods shows that while Chicago's violent crime rate is down, the city still sees a number of murders.
The Incarceration of Drug Offenders (2009)
The Beckley Foundation at King's College London examines the incarceration of drug offenders worldwide. A large portion of this report is dedicated to the United States' anti-drug policies.
Internal Exile: Collateral Consequences of Conviction in Federal Laws and Regulations (2009)
Compiled by a Collaboration of the American Bar Association Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, this report details collateral difficulties faced by people with criminal records post conviction.
The Joyce Foundation's Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration (2009)
The Joyce Foundation reports on the findings of its Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration project.
Juvenile Justice: Lessons for a New Era (2009)
The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy presents insight on juvenile justice programs past, present, and future.
One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008 (2009)
The Pew Center on the States examines the demographics of the people in prison across the United States.
When Relatives Return: Interviews with Family Members of Returning Prisoners in Houston, Texas (2009)
The Urban Institute interviews family members of people returning from prison in Houston.
Employment After Prison: A Longitudinal Study of Releasees in Three States (2008)
The Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute examines the importance of finding employment for prisoners upon release by studying releasees in Texas, Ohio, and Illinois.
The President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative in 50 States (2008)
The White House released this report in 2008 detailing faith- and community-based efforts to support prisoner reentry around the country.
Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System A Manual for Practitioners and Policymakers (2008)
This Sentencing Project report focuses on the issue of disproportionate minority contact/confinement in the criminal justice system.
Returning Home on Parole: Former Prisoners’ Experiences in Illinois, Ohio, and Texas (2008)
The Urban Institute describes the experiences of returnees in Illinois, Ohio, and Texas.
Targeting Blacks: Drug Law Enforcement and Race in the United States (2008)
Human Rights Watch reports on the disproportionate impact of drug laws on minority populations in the United States.
Transition Toolkit 2.0: Meeting the Educational Needs of Youth Exposed to the Criminal Justice System (2008)
Prepared by the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, and At-Risk, this report showcases the importance of education for youth returning from the juvenile justice system.
Ex-Offenders Reentering the Workforce (2007)
This joint report by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Department of Corrections for the American Psychological Association's Journal of Counseling Psychology details some of the challenges faced by people with criminal records when they reenter the workforce.
Incarceration and Homelessness (2007)
This report prepared for the 2007 National Symposium on Homelessness research examines the correlation between incarceration and homelessness.
Potential for Change: Public Attitudes and Policy Preferences for Juvenile Justice Systems Reform (2007)
This Center for Children's Law and Policy report proposes a shift towards rehabilitative practices as opposed to incarceration for juvenile offenders.
Reconsidering Incarceration: New Directions for Reducing Crime (2007)
The Vera Institute proposes crime reduction policies as alternatives to incarceration.
Chicago Metropolis 2020 2006 Crime and Justice Index (2006)
This report from Metropolis 2020 details crime and justice trends in Chicago.
The Effects of Incarceration on Employment and Wages: An Analysis of the Fragile Families Survey (2006)
The Center for Research on Child Well-being studies incarceration's effect on future employment and wages.
Evidence-Based Public Policy Options to Reduce Future Prison Construction, Criminal Justice Costs, and Crime Rates (2006)
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy reports on best-practice approaches to corrections.
Inside Out: A Plan to Reduce Recidivism and Improve Public Safety (2006)
This report from the Community Safety and Reentry Commission, Appointed by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, offers some solutions to recidivism in Illinois. The co-chairs of the commission were Reverend Jesse Jackson and Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons.
Ready4Reentry: Prisoner Reentry Toolkit for Faith-Based and Community Organizations (2006)
This document from the United States Department of Labor Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives showcases the result of the Ready4Work program. Safer Foundation participated in this program.
Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope, Strengthening Communities: Breaking the Cycle of Reentry and Building Brighter Futures in Chicago (2006)
Safer Foundation is mentioned throughout this report from the Mayoral Policy Caucus on Prisoner Reentry. Safer President/CEO Diane Williams was a member of the caucus.
Chicago Communities and Prisoner Reentry (2005)
A 2005 Urban Institute Study. Over half (54 percent) of former male prisoners released to Chicago returned to just 7 of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Forty-five percent of ex-prisoners said that they did not return to the neighborhood they lived in before they were sent to prison, primarily because they wanted to avoid problems in their old neighborhood or because their family had moved. Former prisoners who resided in neighborhoods that were perceived as unsafe and where drug selling was a problem were more likely to use drugs, were less likely to be employed, and were more likely to return to prison.
Contacts Between Police and Public (2005)
The U.S. Department of Justice report on a 2002 national survey of police interactions with the public.
Incarceration and Crime: A Complex Relationship (2005)
This Sentencing Project report revolves around the premise that increasing incarceration while ignoring more effective approaches will impose a heavy burden upon courts, corrections and communities, while providing a marginal impact on crime.
Race at Work: Realities of Race and Criminal Record in the NYC Job Market (2005)
Devah Pager and Bruce Western from the Princeton University Department of Sociology report on the effect of race and criminal records on hiring practices in New York City for the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Girls in Prison: The Education and Training of Under-18s Serving Detention and Training Orders (2004)
This report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in the United Kingdom seeks to improve the educational standards for young female inmates in the British prison system.
A Portrait of Prisoner Reentry in Illinois (2003)
Nancy G. La Vigne and Cynthia A. Mamalian, with the help of Spirit of Safer Award recipient Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher examine reentry in Illinois. Safer Foundation is referenced throughout.
Beyond Prison Gates: The State of Parole in America (2002)
Spirit of Safer Award recipient Jeremy Travis and Sarah Lawrence discuss sentencing policy and parole in this publication from the Urban Institute Justice Policy Center.
Cellblocks or Classrooms?: The Funding of Higher Education and Corrections and Its Impact on African American Men (2002)
The Justice Policy Institute compares government funding of education versus corrections and how it impacts African-American men.
Criminal Justice and Health and Human Services: An Exploration of Overlapping Needs, Resources, and Interests in Brooklyn Neighborhoods (2002)
This interesting report from the Open Society's Eric Cadora maps out the relationship between criminal justice and health and human services in Brooklyn.
Drugs, Crime, and Consequences: Arrests and Incarceration in North Lawndale (2002)
The North Lawndale Employment Network examines crime and incarceration in the Chicago community.
The Practice and Promise of Prison Programming (2002)
Spirit of Safer Award recipient Jeremy Travis worked with Daniel P. Mears, Glenn Dubin, and Sarah Lawrence on this report about programming for prison inmates for the Urban Institute.
A Second Chance A Review of Education and Supporting Arrangements Within Units for Juveniles Managed by HM Prison Service (2002)
This report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales details reentry practices in the United Kingdom.
The Vicious Circle: Race, Prison, Jobs, and Community in Chicago, Illinois, and the Nation (2002)
The Chicago Urban League reports on the effect of incarceration on employment and communities in Chicago.
What is the Value of a GED to Dropouts Who Pursue the Credential? (2002)
Brown University's John H. Tyler examines the benefits to pursuing a GED.
From Prison to Home: The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry (2001)
Spirit of Safer Award recipient Jeremy Travis teams with Amy L. Solomon and Michelle Waul in this Urban Institute report on prison reentry.
Prisoner Reentry in Perspective (2001)
James P. Lynch and William J. Sabol add some context to prisoner reentry by examining corrections trends in this Urban Institute report.
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