MGH Guides: Former Inmates: Community Reintegration: Home

Overview

Transcript: Three E's of Reentry
Transcript document for the Three E's of Reentry video.
Transcript: John Oliver Prisoner Re-entry
Transcript document for the John Oliver Prisoner Re-entry video.

Data and Statistics

Prison Policy Initiative-- The Whole Pie 2025
This is a visual representation of the distribution of people who are incarcerated in the United States, how many people are not convicted of any crime, pre-trial detention rates, and more.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
See how many people are released from prisons each year and in which states.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities-- Helping Ex-Offenders Get Housing and Health Care
Provides information and statistics about housing and health care needs of people who are released from prison, and the policies in place to address this.

Health Care for Former Inmates

Online Resources

HealthCare.gov-- Health Coverage for Incarcerated People
Provides information for people released from incarceration, being uninsured, if you're incarcerated pending disposition of charges, and incarceration and Medicaid.
Helping Former Prisoners Get Medical Care
Information with the steps to take in order to obtain health care for former prisoners.
New York Times-- They're Out of Prison. Can They Stay Out of the Hospital?
A 2018 New York Times article about the personal experiences of people who have been released from prison and are in need of health care.
District of Massachusetts: Reentry After Incarceration
A variety of reintegration programs in the District of Massachusetts and national reentry resources.

A Sample of Evidence

Transition planning from jail: Treatment engagement, continuity of care, and rearrest.
Hicks, D. L., Comartin, E. B., Kubiak, S. (2021). Transition planning from Jail: Treatment engagement, continuity of care, and rearrest. Community Mental Health Journal, 58(2), 288-299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00820-x
Behavioral Health Services Following Release From Jail: A Widening Racial Disparity Gap.
Canada, K. E. (2021). Behavioral Health Services Following Release From Jail: A Widening Racial Disparity Gap. American Journal of Public Health, 111(2), 178–179. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306057
Association between contact with mental health and substance use services and reincarceration after release from prison.
Thomas, E. G., Spittal, M. J., Taxman, F. S., Puljevic, C., Heffernan, E. B., & Kinner, S. A. (2022). Association between contact with mental health and substance use services and reincarceration after release from prison. PLoS One, 17(9), Article e0272870. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272870
Evaluation of the Jail-Based Occupational Therapy Transition and Integration Services Program for Community Reentry.
Jaegers, L. A., Skinner, E., Conners, B., Hayes, C., West-Bruce, S., Vaughn, M. G., Smith, D. L., & Barney, K. F. (2020). Evaluation of the Jail-Based Occupational Therapy Transition and Integration Services Program for Community Reentry. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.035287
Policy solutions to end gaps in Medicaid coverage during reentry after incarceration in the United States: experts' recommendations.
Barnert, E. S., Scannell, C., Ashtari, N., & Albertson, E. (2022). Policy solutions to end gaps in Medicaid coverage during reentry after incarceration in the United States: experts’ recommendations. Journal of Public Health (09431853), 30(9), 2201–2209. https://doi-org.treadwell.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01483-4

Journal

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
This journal covers a wide range of topics related to crime, including risk assessment and criminal profiling. It emphasizes treatment of offenders--both as it relates to theory and for clinical practice.

Graphic

Health Conditions for Former Inmates

Online Resources

Health and Prisoner Reentry: How Physical, Mental, and Substance Abuse Conditions Shape the Process of Reintegration
This report documents the health challenges facing returning prisoners and describes how individuals with health conditions navigated the first year after release from prison. Taking a comprehensive perspective on “health,” we report on the influence of physical health conditions, mental illness, and substance abuse on the reentry process.

A Sample of Evidence

Inequalities in cancer stage at diagnosis among incarcerated individuals undergoing radiation therapy at a large safety net hospital
Oladeru, O. T., Lam, C. M., Qureshi, M. M., Hirsch, A. E., Mak, K. S., Dyer, M. A., & Truong, M. T. (2023). Inequalities in cancer stage at diagnosis among incarcerated individuals undergoing radiation therapy at a large safety net hospital. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.02.002
Prevalence of probable attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in inmates and its relationship with recidivism
Dagistan, A. A., Gica, S., Aydin, A., & Cilli, A. S. (2021). Prevalence of probable attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in inmates and its relationship with recidivism. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 67(1), 289-296. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14894
Systematic review of qualitative evaluations of reentry programs addressing problematic drug use and mental health disorders amongst people transitioning from prison to communities
Sacha Kendall, Sarah Redshaw, Stephen Ward, Sarah Wayland, & Elizabeth Sullivan. (2018). Systematic review of qualitative evaluations of reentry programs addressing problematic drug use and mental health disorders amongst people transitioning from prison to communities. Health & Justice, 6(1), 1–11. https://doi-org.treadwell.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s40352-018-0063-8
The Relationship Between Severe Mental Disorders and Recidivism in a Sample of Women Released from Prison.
King, E. A., Tripodi, S. J., & Veeh, C. A. (2018). The Relationship Between Severe Mental Disorders and Recidivism in a Sample of Women Released from Prison. The Psychiatric Quarterly, 89(3), 717–731. https://doi-org.treadwell.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11126-018-9572-9
Trauma recidivism is pervasive and is associated with mental and social health opportunities
Heimke, I. M., Connelly, M., Clarke, A., DeMario, B., Furdock, R., Moore, T. A., & Vallier, H. A. (2023). Trauma recidivism is pervasive and is associated with mental and social health opportunities. Injury, 54(2), 519–524. https://doi-org.treadwell.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.injury.2022.11.002

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Employment for Former Inmates

Online Resources

Reintegration of ExOffenders Program
This program works with court-involved youth, young adults, and adult ex-offenders on employment and training.
Reentry and Employment for the Formerly Incarcerated and the Role of American Trades Unions
This policy brief explores the effect of under- and un-employment on the formerly incarcerated and how the expertise and structure of American trades unions could provide critical training programs inside and outside of prisons and jails.
Reentry Essentials: An Overview of Employment and Correctional Education
"This is the first in a series of posts on aspects of successful reentry. Each post will include curated resources related to the featured reentry topic." - Posted 2018

A Sample of Evidence

Experience of Stigma Post Incarceration: A Qualitative Study.
Sinko, R., DeAngelis, T., Alpajora, B., Beker, J., & Kramer, I. (2020). Experience of Stigma Post Incarceration: A Qualitative Study. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT), 8(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1610
The association between time incarcerated and employment success: Comparing traditional vocational services with a hybrid supported employment program for veterans.
LePage, J. P., Crawford, A. M., Martin, W. B., Ottomanelli, L., Cipher, D., Rock, A., Parish-Johnson, J., & Washington, E. (2021). The association between time incarcerated and employment success: Comparing traditional vocational services with a hybrid supported employment program for veterans. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 44(2), 142–147. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000418
Employment and Health Among Recently Incarcerated Men Before and After the Affordable Care Act (2009-2017).
Gutierrez, C. M., & Pettit, B. (2020). Employment and Health Among Recently Incarcerated Men Before and After the Affordable Care Act (2009-2017). American Journal of Public Health, 110(S1), S123–S129. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305419
Effectiveness of interventions to improve employment for people released from prison: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Connell, C., Birken, M., Carver, H., Brown, T., & Greenhalgh, J. (2023). Effectiveness of interventions to improve employment for people released from prison: systematic review and meta-analysis. Health & Justice, 11(1), 1–18. https://doi-org.treadwell.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s40352-023-00217-w

Organizations and Initiatives

National Institute of Justice
This website provides links to funding opportunities, articles, and events and trainings related to reentry into the community for a person who has been released from jail or prison.
National Institute of Corrections
This website offers a comprehensive set of information related to community reentry for former offenders. Topics include education, community and family support, skill building, and financial obligations.
Prison Policy Initiative
The Prison Policy Initiative Research Library has information on criminal justice policy and has research sorted into several categories including recidivism and reentry, international incarceration comparisons, and sentencing policy and practices.
Crime and Justice Institute--Reentry
This organization provides technical assistance and support to corrections organizations and community-based programs in developing and implementing effective and innovative practices to transition individuals returning to the community from incarceration.
Help for Felons: Reentry Programs by State
This website is dedicated to providing support and direction to felons, inmates and ex-offenders in every aspect of life. They have sources and directories in regards to jobs, reentry, legal, financial help, housing and much more. Their goal is to give people the tools that they need to not only live, but to be successful and live a fulfilling life.