Innovations in Reentry: Findings from an Evaluation of the Role of Technology in Reentry Planning

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Many correctional agencies are exploring ways to use technology to deliver programming and facilitate reentry planning. Tablets have been widely rolled out in correctional institutions around the nation, with many offering educational and skill building programming and features to facilitate communication with loved ones. In addition, reentry planning software (accessed on tablets or other devices before and after release) is increasingly being used by correctional agencies to allow clients to take greater ownership of their reentry planning. Such client-driven technology has the potential to facilitate successful reentry, particularly during a time of correctional staff shortages and limited traditional programming. This panel presents findings from a multi-component project funded by the National Institute of Justice to investigate the implementation and effectiveness of technology in reentry planning. We focus on the statewide roll-out of tablets and reentry planning software by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NC DAC), sharing implementation considerations from the perspectives of both staff and clients, and outcome findings on the association between the use of this technology and in-prison and post-release outcomes.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 48. Prisoner Reentry

Individual Presentations

• Client-Centered Reentry: Perspectives on a Web-Based Reentry Approach - Megan Nyce, RTI International; Travis Meyers, RTI International

• Reentry in the Digital Age: Perceptions of Tablet-based Reentry and Education Services for Incarcerated Individuals - Hannah Cortina, RTI International; Travis Meyers, RTI International

• Unlocking Technology Use: Analyzing Client Engagement in Reentry Planning Technology - Jamie Newsome, RTI International; Christine Lindquist, RTI International

• Tablets for Transformation: Exploring the Association between Tablet Use and In-Prison and Post-Release Outcomes - Samuel Scaggs, RTI International; Jamie Newsome, RTI International

Chair

• Christine Lindquist, RTI International

Discussant

• Danielle Crimmins, National Institute of Justice