Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #11 - Envisioning Corrections in 2030 - Where Should the Evidence Take Us (ACJ11-A007)

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted concerted calls for emergency decarceration efforts worldwide, truly on an unprecedented scale. Among other things, such calls have underscored the necessity to have systems in place that prepare incarcerated individuals for reentering society as soon as the incarceration begins, as a matter of standard practice. Although the correctional literature highlights the positive influence that post-release reentry services can have on behavior of previously incarcerated individuals, less is known about the role that pre-release programs can play in ensuring successful post-release outcomes – despite the fact that many jurisdictions employ some version of pre-release programming. This paper argues that efforts to design effective pre-release options conducive to reintegration become an essential ingredient of envisioning corrections into the next decade. To this end, the paper aims to provide guidance for designing effective pre-release program options that successfully prepare individuals for reentry and transitioning back into society. The paper draws from the researchers’ combined experiences in conducting participatory action research with institutional and community-based correctional agencies in the United States. We highlight several main areas that pose challenges in practice and propose possible solutions for addressing them in order to achieve more effective use of pre-release and more successful reintegration of returning individuals.

 

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