The reentry process: how parolees adjust to release from prison.

We explored the reentry process by interviewing 51 parolees three times over a period of three months after their release from prison. In addition, we interviewed 19 parole officers and tracked each parolee for six months after release. Ten of the 51 parolees were reincarcerated within six months after their release from prison. Family support, being married or having a partner, living with a family member, and being a parent were not associated with parole adjustment or with the likelihood of returning to prison. Variables associated with not being reincarcerated were number of close relationships within the family network, the quality of the parent-child relationship, being employed, and having stable housing. Reincarceration was associated with socializing with friends four or more times per week, the number of conflicted relationships in the family network, having family members who had been on probation or in jail, and the parolee's perceived difficulty in staying off drugs. These findings suggest that the overall network of family relationships is important in helping to make the transition from prison to the community.

Keywords: prison reentry, reentry, parolee adjustment, recidivism, family

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In 2002 there were more than 1.4 million persons in federal and state prisons in the United States, and 95 percent of them will be released to reintegrate into communities (Harrison & Beck, 2003; Travis, Solomon, & Waul, 2001). Approximately 600,000 prisoners are released annually in the United States or an average of 1,600 per day (Petersilia, 2003; Travis et al., 2001). This is four times greater than the number of prisoners who were released 25 years ago (Visher & Travis, 2003).

About two-thirds of parolees are rearrested within three years of release, and 40% are reincarcerated (Langan & Levin, 2002). The rate of parole failure has increased during the past decade: "More of them are being arrested; these arrests are occurring more quickly; and as a group, ex-convicts are accounting for a growing share of all serious crimes experienced in the United States" (Petersilia, 2003, p. 144).

When inmates are released they leave the highly structured environment of the prison to the unstructured world, where they must learn to make decisions and care for themselves. They must decide where to live, find a way to support themselves, and reconnect with family and friends. Common requirements of parole are to report to one's parole officer regularly, find and maintain employment, obtain adequate housing, stay drug free, not associate with other felons, make supervision payments, obey all laws, and submit to searches and drug tests. Many are required to receive drug treatment.

Most prisoners reenter the community with no savings and few employment prospects (Petersilia, 2003). The task of securing employment is complicated by the fact that they often have a poor work history with a significant gap since the last date of employment. In addition, the stigma of a criminal record is a significant barrier (Pager, 2003).