Exploring Social Support During the Reentry Process

• In Event: Impacting Criminal Justice Outcomes: A Review of New Research on Supportive Practices

Abstract

Having access to positive social support is a key factor in the reentry process for justice-involved individuals. Further, prior research has indicated that support person involvement in the rehabilitation process can result in substantial reductions in recidivism for justice-involved individuals. However, limited research has examined the willingness of positive social support persons to become involved in the reentry and rehabilitation process of justice-involved individuals. Using a sample of 179 justice-involved men and women enrolled in a reentry program designed to train support persons in rehabilitative skills, the purpose of the current study is to examine the prevalence of social support for justice-involved individuals and the willingness of support persons to attend a reentry program. The findings demonstrated that less than half of justice-involved individuals had social support persons participate in the program. Further, women were significantly less likely to have positive support persons attend and participate in the reentry program than men. The implications of these findings for reentry are discussed.

Authors

• Myrinda Smith, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute

• Christopher D'Amato, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute