Imagine this: You just got released from prison. You have no money and no place to stay. You do not have a phone or a means of transportation. You do not even have a valid form of identification. On top of that, there is a whole world of professions and opportunities that are not open to you. An expert on reentry, La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett, stated, “The most important thing about reentry is providing individualized services.”
Reentry is a challenging process that dates back to the 19th-century prison reform movement, which emphasized rehabilitation and humane treatment. During the massive reform, the Prison Association of New York was established in 1844; this eventually expanded to the American Prison Association in 1870 and 2 years later to the International Prison Congress. This association was formed to advocate for people in prison and to help with post-release reintegration. During this time, there was a necessity for a change in attitude and behavior towards prisoners that was more humanitarian and optimistic about their reentry into society, contributing towards programming inside prisons that prepares them for reintegration. For most of the 20th century, preparation for release was considered an important part of the prison experience. There was a shift in the system where it was important to prepare the incarcerated for life outside the walls, especially after the Second Chance Act of 2007.
Employment and housing are basic needs for every American; however, securing them is difficult because finding a job and a place to live is hard for people with a criminal record. Many individuals also lack the necessary social skills or preparation for the job market, especially those coming out of long-term sentences. Criminal records affect access to all types of housing, including public and private options. For those under mandatory supervision, such as parole, conditions like curfews and housing restrictions create additional obstacles. This does not even account for other resources needed during reentry, such as mental and physical healthcare, substance use treatment, transportation, and more. Fortunately, many places offer various reentry programs to help, including work release to build skills, drug treatment programs, and community-based organizations. The place where you reenter society greatly influences your success.
Paul Debord, an expert who experienced reentry firsthand, said in Social Work Today, “It’s hard on an ex-prisoner coming out with my record and my age and the things that I’ve gone through. It’s a fight when you get out.”
The reentry process isn’t the same for everyone and is constantly changing. The environment can significantly influence a person’s reentry journey. Mountain City, Tennessee, and Chicago, Illinois, are two cities that have almost nothing in common. One is rural, the other urban; one has a population of about 2.6 million, the other fewer than 2,500. Yet, both have citizens who must go through the reentry process, although those processes may differ.
Mountain City has a mostly white, rural population and is home to the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX), a prison with a capacity of nearly 1400 individuals. This facility offers programs through the Northeast State Community College Program, which helps incarcerated individuals earn a degree and provides other vocational programming to aid in job readiness. Besides this, there are no reentry programs on the outside to assist with the reintegration into society. This town works through the Tennessee Department of Reentry. Mountain City serves as an intriguing subject related to reentry because, although a prison is located in this ‘middle of nowhere’ town that acts as a pipeline for reentering individuals, it remains relatively understudied. It also faces rural challenges and has a socially conservative environment.
Illinois’s incarceration rate stands out compared to other countries, with 433 per 100,000 people, higher than Norway, Italy, Canada, and others. Mass incarceration is widespread here. Although many prisons are in rural areas across the state, many of the individuals are coming from and returning to the city of Chicago. There are a number of programs in the city put in place to alleviate some of the burdens that come with reentering society. Some programs include the Illinois Prison Project, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Chicago Urban League, and more. Chicago even has a dedicated reentry office. The Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC) addresses the traumas of police violence and institutionalized racism through access to healing and wellness services, trauma-informed resources, and community connection. It “is the only center in the U.S. that was created to address the harms of state-sanctioned violence and police torture,” their Director of Programs and Supportive Services, La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett, says. She states, “The best thing about CTJC is that we provide individualized, specialized services.” She states, “CTJC asks one question, ‘What is it that you need?’” Jenifor-Sublett shares some of the resources that CTJC provides justice-impacted individuals, such as “trauma-informed care, a 7-day bus pass, money management, life skills, training on how to navigate parole, housing training –so people know that they cannot get turned away for an apartment, and connecting individuals to therapy.” This is just a small part of what the Chicago Torture Justice Center does in its community for reentry.
There are notable differences between reentry in Chicago and Mountain City. Studies show that those released into rural areas are less likely to find employment and more likely to be reincarcerated. This is due to limited geographic opportunities. As mentioned, Chicago has extensive reentry programs, while Mountain City does not. Housing in Chicago is more accessible, whereas in Mountain City, individuals often have to find places in nearby areas. However, it may be easier to find housing in rural areas like Mountain City if someone is on the sex registry, because there is a lower population density, which provides fewer restrictions on where offenders can live. Additionally, Chicago’s housing options often conflict with registry requirements, especially because Illinois laws prohibit sex offenders from living within certain distances of schools, parks, and other areas where children gather. Additionally, reentry is more taboo in small, conservative towns like Mountain City, which can create social issues that limit opportunities and self-sufficiency.
The differences and similarities in reentry across geographic locations highlight that reentry is influenced heavily by where a person ends up after incarceration. While progress has been made since the late 1900s, numerous challenges remain. The Second Chance Act, enacted in 2008, marked a significant step in this ongoing process. This act authorized federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide reentry services and programs. In 2018, this Act was reauthorized as part of the First Step Act. This bill was designed to promote rehabilitation, lower recidivism rates, and reduce excessive sentences in the federal system. In 2020, the FAFSA Simplification Act was signed into law, which restored Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated individuals for the first time since 1994, giving them a fair chance at education. Pell Grants are federal financial aid based on financial need. For incarcerated individuals, it allows them to pay for college courses. Along with these Acts that have contributed to the progress of reentry in the U.S., non-profit and community reentry programs have increased and continue to grow. There are various programs where formerly incarcerated individuals are leading them.
Some challenges that still arise are the stigma around reentry and incarceration, housing insecurity, employment discrimination, the lack of resources in smaller towns and rural areas, mental health and substance abuse, and those who face unique challenges, such as women and members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Ann Jacobs, director of the Prisoner Reentry Institute at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, states, “A person’s successful re-entry into society can be viewed through how adequately they can meet six basic life needs: livelihood, residence, family, health, criminal justice compliance, and social connections.”
