Life After Prison: Gendered Differences in the Impact of Social Support on Reintegration

• In Event: Navigating Supervision, Housing and Reintegration After Incarceration

Abstract

Successful reintegration into society remains a challenge for formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly in securing stable housing and employment. This study examines the gendered impact of social support on reintegration outcomes, assessing how peer instrumental support, familial instrumental support, and familial emotional support influence housing stability and employment within three months of release. Using data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI), logistic regression models explore whether gender moderates the relationship between social support and reentry success. Findings indicate that peer instrumental support significantly affects housing stability, but its impact varies by gender. Men with strong peer support networks are more likely to secure independent housing, while women with high levels of peer instrumental support are less likely to do so. Familial support—whether emotional or instrumental—does not significantly predict housing stability or employment, challenging assumptions about its protective role. Men are significantly more likely to secure jobs post-release, highlighting structural labor market disparities. This study contributes to Social Support Theory (Cullen, 1994) and Differential Coercion and Social Support Theory (Colvin et al., 2002), underscoring the need for gender-responsive reentry policies that expand employment resources for men and structured housing access for women.

Authors

• Joy Ukamaka Ferdinand, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• David Tyler, University of Arkansas at Little Rock