Reentry
Nearly one-third of working-age Americans has a criminal record. Even without a trial or “guilty” charge, a record of arrest or other involvement with the justice system dramatically limits future job, housing, civic engagement, and lifetime earnings prospects. Reflecting a criminal justice system that fails to correct, and a lack of public trust in that system, reentering citizens face a lifetime of punishment and exile, and are prevented from fully re-joining their communities. Rather than defining community members by the worst mistake they’ve ever made, we must provide these individuals the tools they need to be successful after release. Comprehensive reentry programs should include case management, connections to housing and work training, temporary assistance for basic needs like food and transportation, and a seamless continuum of mental health and substance use treatments. All of these elements should begin prior to release and continue, as needed, afterward. To do less is to guarantee failure.
Our Priorities:
- Successful reentry is often measured by recidivism, which tracks whether someone is re-arrested or sentenced for a new crime following their retuIncrease access to affordable, supportive housing, and eliminate release to homelessness
- Remove barriers to employment, education, and vocational training
- Ensure continuity of health care
Related Posts
Why Re-Arrest Doesn’t Mean You’re a Failure
Corrections, Data, Policy & Culture Change, Reentry“In a recent essay for the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Cecilia M. Klingele suggested that recidivism rates produce a ‘one-dimensional’ picture that not only skews the decisions of judges and parole boards, but prevents the ...
Equitas Executive Director Vincent Atchity appears on panel – Mental Health: A Crisis in Colorado
Childhood, Corrections, Education, Employment, Health Care, Housing, In the News, Justice, Policy & Culture Change, Public Safety, ReentryLIVE: A Community Conversation – MENTAL HEALTH: A crisis in Colorado hosted by KKTV Channel 11 and The Colorado Springs Gazette at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs. Read more about the discussion here....
Oregon Governor Signs Bill To Track Info About Jail Inmates
Data, Health Care, Public Safety, ReentryOregon Gov. Kate Brown signed legislation Wednesday that will require local and regional jails to provide the state with information about the people in their custody, as well as details about the health care inmates receive. “It is i...