Eric J. Wodahl

Prisoner Reentry in a Small Metropolitan Community: Obstacles and Policy Recommendations

The number of people reentering society after imprisonment has increased dramatically in recent decades in direct correlation with the growing prison population. As a result, empirical studies of prisoner reentry have also increased, but these studies typically focus on large urban areas and use quantitative methodologies. The current study expands the existing literature by examining qualitatively the reentry experiences of 43 male offenders living in a small metropolitan community. Participants were interviewed at the 3-month mark of their release from prison. They were asked about the strains and obstacles they encountered at three distinct time periods since their release: the first days of release, the 1-month mark, and the 3-month mark. These former prison inmates were also asked to identify any program or service that had helped or could help their reintegration into society. The results suggest that core obstacles and strains in reentry, such as issues with money, employment, and reconnecting with family, are consistent across geographical location. The study also produced some unique findings, such as psychosocial challenges being cited most frequently as obstacles or strains, the role of employment beyond its financial importance, and the negative aspects of religious components in reentry programs. Several policy recommendations relevant to the findings are discussed.

Utilizing Behavioral Interventions to Improve Supervision Outcomes in Community-Based Corrections

The number of offenders supervised in the community has grown significantly over the past few decades, whereas successful completions of probation and parole terms have been declining during the same time period. The current study examines the impact of rewards and sanctions on offenders in an Intensive Supervision Program (ISP). Data were collected on a random sample of 283 offenders who participated in an ISP between 2000 and 2003. Agency records, including supervision notes, violation reports, and other offender-related correspondence, were used to track offenders’ sanction and reward histories during their participation in the program. Controlling for a number of variables, the study found that the use of both sanctions and rewards led to higher success rates. Administering rewards in proportionally higher numbers than sanctions produced the best results, especially when a ratio of four or more rewards for every sanction was achieved. Correctional administrators are encouraged to identify ideological obstacles that may impede the application of behavioral techniques and to carefully train and guide line staff in the use of sanctions and rewards.

Value Conflict and Public Opinion Toward Prisoner Reentry Initiatives

The dramatic growth in the incarceration rate since the mid-1970s has unintentionally resulted in massive numbers of people being released from prison each year. Consequently, prisoner reentry initiatives are receiving greater attention than ever before. At this point few studies have looked at public support for reentry initiatives, and the existing ones have taken a rather general and atheoretical approach. The current study explores public opinion toward a wide range of reentry policies and practices through a value conflict framework. Results from a randomly selected, statewide sample in Missouri indicate that people take into account such values as social welfare, retribution, and self-interest when assessing their support for reentry measures. As reentry initiatives may struggle to attain legitimacy and resources without public support, a number of policy implications are discussed. These implications include informing the public of the need for servicing those with prior prison terms and communicating the value of housing assistance during reentry.

Generation and Detection of True and False Alibi Statements

This article reports two experiments focusing on two stages of the alibi process. In Experiment 1, participants generated a true or false alibi for one of two dates (short or long delay). Results showed that participants were most likely to report that they could get alibi corroboration from a motivated alibi witnesses regardless of whether they were being truthful or deceptive. Changes in details to the generated alibi were frequent for both true and false statements. In Experiment 2, individuals were asked to discriminate between true and false statements. The results indicated that participants were no better than chance at detecting lies. As has been seen with in other domains (e.g. eyewitness identification), confidence had no predictive power in distinguishing lies from true statements.

Offender Perceptions of Graduated Sanctions

Finding credible alternatives to revocation for offenders who violate the conditions of their community supervision has emerged as a salient issue in the corrections field. A number of jurisdictions have turned to graduated sanctions as an alternative to revocation. This study addresses one of the major gaps in the research on graduated sanctions by examining perceptions of graduated sanction severity through the administration of surveys to offenders under active supervision. Survey results revealed several important findings. First, offenders do not view jail as being substantially more punitive than community-based sanctions such as community service or electronic monitoring. Second, offenders viewed treatment-oriented sanctions as being more punitive than other graduated sanctions. Third, offender perceptions of graduated sanctions were influenced by a variety of individual characteristics such as gender, age, and education level.

The Evolution of Community Corrections The Enduring Influence of the Prison

Community corrections has grown into a salient component of the correctional system. This article traces the growth and development of community-based sanctions in the United States. The authors assert that the evolution of community corrections has largely been shaped by its enduring relationship with the prison. Thus, it is not possible to fully comprehend the evolution of community-based corrections without considering the influence of the institutions. As such, this article documents the development and durability of community corrections by focusing on their unique and dynamic relationship with the prison.

Revocation Trends: A Threat to the Legitimacy of Community-Based Corrections

Community-based correctional agencies exist in an institutional environment where maintaining legitimacy is essential for organizational success. Maintaining legitimacy has emerged as an even more salient issue in recent times given the current economic state. This article argues that the growing number of offenders who are incarcerated after their unsuccessful termination from community supervision represents a prominent threat to the legitimacy of community-based correctional organizations. This article draws attention to the relationship between revocation trends and the legitimacy of community corrections. In addition, strategies to enhance legitimacy by mitigating the effects of community corrections failures are addressed.

What Influences Public Support of Transitional Housing Facilities for Offenders During Reentry

Transitional housing facilities for released prison inmates have existed in the United States since the early 1800s and are a promising strategy to aid offender reintegration. One recurring obstacle to the successful implementation and sustainability of these facilities is public resistance. Unfortunately, very little is known regarding what influences public support or opposition specifically for offender-based transitional housing. The current study examines how support for transitional housing centers may vary among residents of a Midwestern state based on the proximity of the facility and the types of offenders living there. The study also examines a range of possible influences on support, including community factors, family-related considerations, correctional and political views, and demographic variables. The most consistent influence on acceptance of transitional housing centers was general support for helping offenders during reentry. Other variables with more limited effects were an emphasis on services and programming over monitoring and surveillance during reentry, having a close family member imprisoned, age, and education level. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Measuring Public Support for Prisoner Reentry Options

Few topics have been discussed more extensively or feverishly within correctional academic and professional circles in the past few decades than prisoner reentry. Although program and policy evaluations have been conducted, a lack of public support for prisoner reentry initiatives could undermine the sustainability of prisoner reentry as a large-scale movement. Interestingly, no multivariate, explanatory analyses of the correlates of support for prisoner reentry policies could be found in the literature. This omission is due in part to the absence of clear psychometric measures to assess support. The current study examines the data obtained from a sample of residents in a Midwestern state to determine the dimensionality of support for prisoner reentry interventions using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Specifically, our expectation is that the following three-factor structure will be identified: (a) support for transitional programs aimed at building skills and knowledge to handle the obstacles of the prison-to-community transitional process, (b) support for post-release transitional housing units, and (c) opposition to denying offenders housing opportunities. Our results support a three-factor model. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Decarceration and its possible effects on inmates, staff, and communities:

Few current criminal justice scholars, practitioners, and politicians expected to witness the phenomenon of decreasing correctional populations. Yet, there is evidence at local, state, and regional levels of significant declines in the growth of incarceration and even decreases in the size of prisoner populations. In this article we delineate the extent of decarceration and examine the context in which it has occurred. We then explore possible positive and negative outcomes resulting from decarceration and conclude with an agenda for advancing a decarceration movement.