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Prisoner Reentry

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The transition from incarceration to life in the community has implications for public safety at large and for the communities into which the former prisoners are introduced. RAND research has explored how to prevent recidivism through correctional education, the public health issues of prisoner reentry, and the question of prisoner rehabilitation.

Essay

A Novel Approach to Helping People Returning from Prison

Oct 30, 2019

Many services try to address the needs of individuals returning from prison, but they're often designed without much input from the very people who need the services. A group of county agencies, service providers, and former prisoners collaborated to identify ways to improve reentry services in Los Angeles.
Report

How to Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders

Jan 15, 2018

People with criminal records are marginalized in the labor market. What policies might incentivize employers to hire them? Some options include tax credits and replacement guarantees if an ex-offender proves to be unsuitable once hired.

Explore Prisoner Reentry

Journal Article

A Policy Review of Employers' Open Access to Conviction Records

In this review, we find that (a) US employers' use of conviction information is not clearly aligned with the risk of future criminal behavior or employer costs, and (b) using such information leads to hiring errors that pose costs to society.

Sep 30, 2020
Report

Risk and Needs Assessments in Prisons: Identifying High-Priority Needs for Using Evidence-Based Practices

Prison systems are underresourced and might lack the capacity to implement risk and needs assessments that reduce recidivism. A panel of experts identified ways to address and improve the use of these tools in prisons.

Sep 9, 2020
Multimedia

From the Community Corrections Lens

In this Events @ RAND podcast based on the Career Prospects for People with Criminal Records Symposium held at RAND in 2019, Veronica Cunningham and Nicole Jarrett offer their perspectives on the next steps that policymakers, practitioners, and employers can take to equalize employment opportunities for individuals with criminal records. RAND's Dionne Barnes-Proby hosts.

Jul 29, 2020
Multimedia

Practitioners’ Views on Barriers and Opportunities

In this Events @ RAND podcast based on the Career Prospects for People with Criminal Records Symposium held at RAND in 2019, Joshua Miller, Toney L. Earl Jr., Tony Lewis Jr., and Andrew Morton discuss strategies for overcoming barriers and improving employment outcomes through reentry, community supervision, and employer-driven programs.

Jul 22, 2020
Multimedia

Certification, Background Checks, and Stigma

In this Events @ RAND podcast based on the Career Prospects for People with Criminal Records Symposium held at RAND in 2019, Peter Leasure, Michael Vuolo, and Naomi F. Sugie present evidence from employer and job-seeker studies on Ban-the-Box, Certificates of Relief, and background checks.

Jul 15, 2020
Multimedia

How Do People Stop Committing Crimes?

In this Events @ RAND podcast based on the Career Prospects for People with Criminal Records Symposium held at RAND in 2019, senior policy researcher Shawn D. Bushway explains the concept of desistance, or how and when people with criminal records stop offending.

Jul 8, 2020
Report

Breaking Barriers: A Rapid Rehousing and Employment Pilot Program for Adults on Probation in Los Angeles County: Evaluation Report

This report presents early findings on the progress of the Breaking Barriers program, which provides Los Angeles County adults on probation with a time-limited housing subsidy, case management, and employment supports.

Mar 31, 2020
Essay

Supportive Housing Can Help Keep People with Mental Illness Out of Jail

Hundreds of thousands of people with serious mental illnesses cycle in and out of American jails every year. In Los Angeles, some of them are getting diverted into a supportive housing program where they can get the treatment they need. And the results are promising.

Feb 27, 2020
Blog

State of the Union 2020: Insights from RAND

The final State of the Union address of President Trump's four-year term may be viewed through the lens of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the evening. But the speech touched on a range of policy challenges that will remain, regardless of how politics play out in 2020.

Feb 5, 2020
Research Brief

Research Brief

Los Angeles County Jails Could Divert More Individuals to Community-Based Mental Health Services

Summarizes findings of a report in which researchers estimated the percentage of individuals with mental health disorders in Los Angeles County jails who could be diverted from traditional criminal justice processing to community-based care.

Feb 3, 2020
Blog

Iran, Mental Health and Jail, Russia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Iran and Iraq following the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, supporting those experiencing mental illness in jails, Russia's hostile measures, and more.

Jan 10, 2020
News Release

News Release

More Than Half of Those in Mental Health Unit at L.A. Jail Could Be Diverted to Community Programs

More than 3,300 people in the mental health population of the Los Angeles County Jail are appropriate candidates for diversion into programs where they would receive community-based clinical services rather than incarceration.

Jan 7, 2020
Report

Many Detainees with Mental Illness Could Be Safely Diverted to Community Care

In June 2019, more than 5,500 people in Los Angeles County jails were in mental health housing units and/or were taking psychotropic medications. Based on legal and clinical factors, 61 percent of these individuals were likely eligible for release into community-based treatment.

Jan 7, 2020
Report

Report

Process Evaluation of AssetPlus

A process evaluation of the roll-out of AssetPlus (assessment and planning framework used by youth offending teams) in England and Wales. Practitioners supported the ideas behind AssetPlus but faced challenges with easy use and information-sharing.

Dec 18, 2019
Blog

Veterans, Autonomous Vehicles, Digital Protests: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on preventing veteran suicide, who's responsible when a car is hacked, how digital protests can affect Fortune 500 companies, and more.

Nov 8, 2019
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: November-December 2019

This issue spotlights research on veteran suicide; liability implications of driverless cars; and new approaches to improving the post-incarceration experience. The Giving column highlights a million-dollar gift to fund research on homeless veterans.

Oct 28, 2019
Report

Report

Leveraging Technology to Enhance Community Supervision: Identifying Needs to Address Current and Emerging Concerns

An expert workshop of correctional administrators and researchers explored how technology can be used to address key challenges faced by community corrections agencies.

Oct 28, 2019
Blog

Synthetic Opioids, Mass Shootings, Prison Education: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap looks at fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, how to address mass shootings, higher education in prison, and more.

Aug 30, 2019
Report

Higher Education Programs in Prison Reduce Recidivism

Evidence shows that correctional education programs are effective—and cost-effective—at improving employment outcomes for participants and at helping to keep them from returning to prison. But given limited budgets, how can the long-term funding of these programs be sustained?

Aug 28, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Prisoner Reentry

Topic Synonyms:
Re-Entry Services

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