NCJ Number
209486
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 67 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 86-89
Date Published
April 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses how the community is an important variable in the success of offender reentry, and presents a sampling of effective and successful examples of community engagement in the reentry process.
Abstract
The development, maintenance, and influence of community providers in the reentry process of offenders is an acknowledged variable and has become more paramount as releases from confinement continue to increase at record levels. To ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals become productive citizens is not the sole responsibility of correctional agencies; communities must become engaged and empowered to work collaboratively with corrections to provide guidance and direct assistance to released offenders. Research has argued that employability is related to criminal involvement. Attaining sustainable employment and acceptance in the workplace serves as a building block to connecting with the community. However, this entails attaining educational and work-related skills. In soliciting community organizations to participate in a reentry initiative, correctional agencies must be proactive in their approach. There are multiple pathways to engage communities in reentry, and this article discusses only the surface of the many possibilities currently in operation. The community’s role has now become a necessary component and an essential ingredient to the success of offender reentry. Endnotes