Prisoner Reentry

More young Black males are leaving prisons and returning home to their families and communities than ever before. According to Justice Department statistics, more than 12% of the U.S. Black male population between the ages of 20 and 39 is incarcerated and will likely have to eventually reintegrate back into society. Nationally, over 650,000 individuals will be released from state and federal prisons this year or 1,600 people a day, which is four times the number of people who made similar journeys from prison to home two decades ago and is more people than live in Baltimore or Boston. On top of that, another ten million will be released from local jails.

Due to the record number of Black males being released from our nation's correctional facilities, the issue of how they fare after they exit the prison gates is significant. Many of these reentering individuals will face enormous obstacles in a variety of areas.

Employment: Many employers will not hire former prisoners.
Education: Limited education, work experience, and vocational skills limit employment opportunities for former prisoners.
Housing: Former prisoners have limited housing options and little help in finding a place to stay.
Health/Health Care: Former prisoners are more likely to have major mental disorders, chronic and infectious disease, and/or live in communities with insufficient health care facilities.
Substance Abuse: While the majority of prisoners have extensive substance abuse problems, fewer than one-third receive treatment after release from prison.
Communities: A significant number of prisoners return to a small number of communities, many of which are facing high levels of social and economic disadvantage.
Existing legal barriers:

Most states allow employers to deny jobs to people who were arrested but never convicted of a crime.
Most states allow employers to deny jobs to anyone with a criminal record, regardless of how long ago or the individual's work history and personal circumstances.
Most states ban some or all people with drug felony convictions from being eligible for federally funded public assistance and food stamps.
Most states make criminal history information accessible to the general public through the internet, making it extremely easy for employers and others to discriminate against people on the basis of old or minor convictions, for example, to deny employment or housing.
Many public housing authorities deny eligibility for federally assisted housing based on an arrest that never led to a conviction.
All but two states restrict the right to vote in some way for people with criminal convictions.

Winning strategies exist for reentry. For example, community coalitions have been formed in many areas to test various approaches to working with recently released prisoners. We believe these coalitions are changing the reentry landscape, enhancing the public safety and lessening societal problems, including unemployment, poverty, crime, shattered families, substance abuse and homelessness. Descriptions of some of those efforts are highlighted on this website's Get Involved section and on the Reentry Policy Council and National H.I.R.E. Network websites.