Incarceration and Reentry in Context: The Removal, Return, and Supervision of Offenders in Rural and Urban Areas

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Efforts to understand the scope, context, and consequences of incarceration and prisoner reentry most typically focus on the urban core. However, the growth of the criminal justice system has meant that neighborhoods and communities with diverse population densities must address issues related to the removal and return of criminal offenders. The presentations in this panel focus on the reach of the criminal justice beyond the urban core. Presentation 1 examines recidivism in Ohio, asking if neighborhood features similarly predict returns to prison in rural and urban areas. Presentation 2 utilizes longitudinal data on prison admissions in two states – Massachusetts and New York – to examine changing patterns of incarceration in urban and non-urban areas. Presentation 3 focuses on rural counties in California, where Public Safety Realignment has increased supervision responsibilities without a corresponding investment of resources. Finally, Presentation 4 utilizes geocoded data on offenders in the largely rural state of Montana to examine the potential availability of community-based resources for crime-involved citizens. The theme uniting these presentations is a focus on how different communities – distinguished by level of rurality – confront issues related to incarceration and prisoner reentry.

Sub Unit

• Area VII: Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 44: Prisoner Reentry Experiences

Individual Presentations

• Parolee Recidivism and Rural Context: Assessing Similarities and Differences across Urban and Rural Areas - Alyssa Chamberlain, Arizona State University; Danielle Wallace, Arizona State University

• Beyond the Big City: The Spatial Inequality of Mass Imprisonment - Jessica Simes, Harvard University

• How Rural California Counties Have Been Impacted by California's Public Safety Realignment - Susan Turner, University of California, Irvine

• The Spread and Availability of Reentry Resources Across Montana Communities - Cody Warner, Montana State University

Chair

• Cody Warner, Montana State University