Transitioning Offenders to the Community: A Content Analysis of Reentry Guides

ABSTRACT

The need for strong discharge planning materials which includes reentry guides assumes increasing importance with the large numbers of prisoners being discharged. They return to their communities and need to secure housing, find employment, obtain health care, and in many instances, on-going treatment for substance abuse and mental illness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content, readability and interactive nature of 13 reentry guides given to prisoners after release. This study suggests that many components of current reentry guides need to be reevaluated and redesigned in order to maximize their effectiveness with prisoners returning to the community.

KEYWORDS:

• Discharge planning
• guidebooks
• reentry

Additional information

Notes on contributors

JEFF MELLOW

Jeff Mellow, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Law, Police Science & Criminal Justice Administration, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY. He earned his PhD from the University at Albany and is an Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. His research interests include correctional programming, community corrections, and prisoner reentry.

JOHNNA CHRISTIAN

Johnna Christian, PhD, is affiliated with Rutgers University, School of Criminal Justice, Newark, NJ. She received her PhD from the University at Albany and is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, Newark. Her research interests include community studies, race, gender, and incarceration's impact on families and communities.