The Family Man: Impact of Family Engagement on Prisoner Reentry

• In Event: Familial Ties, Incarceration and Reentry

Abstract

A large body of research suggests that prisoners with strong social ties to family members would have a better chance of successful reintegration into society. Yet relatively little is known about the mechanisms in which family ties and engagement may facilitate offender reentry. Using data from the Returning Home study, which gathered survey and interview data from inmates and their family members in Illinois, Texas, Maryland and Ohio, this paper will develop measures to assess the level and quality of family engagement and how those constructs help explain a father’s likelihood of successful reentry, measured by employment and recidivism outcomes. Findings will be of interest to researchers and practitioners working in the reentry field.

Authors

• Ariel Sankar Bergmann, Urban Institute

• KiDeuk Kim, Urban Institute