Breaking Barriers: Understanding Public Perception Towards Reentry Programming for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

• In Event: Perceptions of Reentry Barriers and Support Options

Abstract

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 79% of those released from prison will be rearrested within six years and 83% will be rearrested within nine years. It is critical, then, to support reentry programming to ensure public safety, reduce recidivism, and increase the likelihood that formerly incarcerated individuals will successfully reintegrate back into society. While criminologists and other social scientists have worked to understand the public’s support for correctional treatment and subsequent reentry programming, more research is needed to understand how the public’s beliefs and attitudes about justice-involved individuals impact their support for programming. We surveyed 370 individuals across the U.S. (18 years and older) to understand how stigmatizing views and opinions about justice-involved individuals influences support for various reentry initiatives. Results from this study provide data for policymakers and key stakeholders to advocate for important policy changes, including potentially a redistribution of funds towards reentry initiatives, and other much-needed criminal justice reform efforts.

Authors

• Britani Holland, University of South Florida

• Jessica Grosholz, University of South Florida

• Sondra Fogel, University of South Florida

• John Cochran, University of South Florida