Improving Prisoner Reentry Through Strategic Policy Innovations

An estimated 640,000 inmates will be released from state prisons in 2005. Within three years, 67 percent of these individuals will be rearrested, and over half will return to prison. Given the tremendous investment that states are making-an estimated $40.7 billion in corrections cost alone in 2004 - policymakers should be concerned about whether or not they are getting the most return for their investment in terms of public safety.

Governors and other state policymakers have the opportunity to improve public safety-and potentially reduce corrections costs-by improving the process by which individuals exit prison and reenter society. Research shows that returning prisoners who have access to key supports and services on release commit fewer crimes, maintain employment, and show improved outcomes for health, income, and a broad range of other indicators. Conversely, former prisoners with few supports and services are more likely to continue to commit crimes.

There are a number of initial steps that governors and other state policymakers can take to improve the reentry process. These include:

• Raising the profile of prisoner reentry as a public safety issue and not solely a corrections issue.
• Improving the decision making processes by which individuals are sent to prison.
• Improving how prisoners are prepared in prison for release.
• Improving the process by which prisoners exit prisons so that key supports and services are in place during the initial transition.
• Developing reentry initiatives that build on key social relationships-such as family, friends, and the faith community-and improve access to other community-based supports and services.
• Targeting and supporting high-risk communities to which the majority of prisoners return.

This Issue Brief describes prisoner reentry issues and challenges and suggests strategies that governors and other state policymakers can use to initiate long-term improvements. Its findings build on the work of NGA's Prisoner Reentry Policy Academy and the Council of State Governments' (CSG) Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council.