Prisoner Re-entry and Social Capital: The Long Road to Reintegration

Based on interviews with 25 men and women who were recently released from prison, this book explores the re-entry process and the barriers that lead to failed re-entry and a return to prison. Unique to Prisoner Re-entry and Social Capital, Earl Smith and Angela J. Hattery explore the role that social capital plays in successful re-entry as well the unique experiences of drug addicts, sex offenders, and women who give birth while incarcerated. Hattery And Smith's Book On Prisoner Reentry And Social Capital Is Of Society-wide Interest To Criminologists, Policymakers, Prisoners And Their Families, Community Workers, And Just Ordinary Folk Who Want A Better Under Standing Of The Problem Of Revolving-door Criminality. The Authors Discuss The Practical Matters That Can Serve As Barriers To, As Well As Avenues For, Change To A Healthy And Socially Productive Life For Former Convicts And Their Communities. With Social Capital--employment, Housing, Support Networks, Supervision, Drug And Sexual Offense Rehab--we Can Greatly Reduce The Expense And Tragedy Of Recurring Crime, Hattery And Smith Offer A Unique Examination Through A Series Of Revealing Interviews With Ex-prisoners Shored Up By Inarguable Data Analysis And A Historical Background Of Failed Policies Of A Wasteful But Eminently Fixable Social Problem --bonnie Berry Social Problem Research Group. Prisoner Reentry And Social Capital Takes As Its Starting Point Interviews With Twenty-five Men And Women During The Summer Of 2008 About Their Experiences With Reentering The Free World After A Period Of Incar Ceration. By Analyzing The Experiences Of These Men And Women, Angela Hattery And Earl Smith Take An In-depth Look At The Factors That Hamper Successful Reentry And Illustrate Some Successes And Failures, Tho Book Examines Individual Characteristics That Inhibit Successful Reentry Such As Addiction And Sex Offender Status, As Well As The Unique Challenges Faced By Women. Hattery And Smith Also Focus On The Role That Social Capital Plays As One Of The Most Important Factors Shaping The Reentry Experience. These Interviews And Analyses Provide A Deeper And More Precise Understanding Of The Biases Faced By Reentry Felons In The Labor Market And Works To Address The Key Barriers To Reentry In Hopes Of Aiding In Their Elimination --book Jacket. Barriers To Reentry And Increased Recidivism -- The Role Of Addiction -- The Role Of Sexual Abuse In Childhood -- The Special Case Of Women -- The Impact Of Social Capital On Reentry -- The Special Case Of Exonerees -- Where Do We Go From Here? : Policy Implications. Angela Hattery And Earl Smith. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 'If you do the crime you gotta do the time.' This adage reflects the overall attitude most Americans have about crime and the criminal justice system. Implicit in this adage is the notion that once 'the time' is done, the individual is free to re-enter society and resume a normal life. In Prisoner Re-entry and Social Capital, authors Earl Smith and Angela J. Hattery challenge this myth. Prisoner Re-entry and Social Capital takes as its starting point interviews with twenty-five men and women during the summer of 2008 about their experiences with re-entering the 'free world' after a period of incarceration. By analyzing the experiences of these men and women, Smith and Hattery look in depth at the factors that inhibit successful re-entry and illustrate some successes and failures. The book examines individual characteristics that inhibit successful re-entry such as addiction and sex offender status as well as the unique challenges faced by women. Uniquely, Smith and Hattery focus on the role that social capital plays as one of the most important factors that shapes the re-entry experience. Today, one of the most pressing issues facing scholars, those who work in the criminal justice system, and the citizenry as a whole is the extraordinarily high rate of recidivism. These interviews and analyses provide a deeper and more precise understanding of the biases faced by re-entry felons in the labor market and work to address the key barriers to re-entry in hopes to aid in their elimination. This book analyzes the biases faced by re-entry felons in the labor market in the U.S. and the barriers to successful re-entry. Based on interviews with 25 men and women enrolled in a re-entry program, the book examines factors, such as addiction or sex offender status, that inhibit successful re-entry. Illustrated are some successes and failures, as well as, some unique challenges faced by women who gave birth while in prison. Going beyond the usual discussion of securing a job and finding stable housing, it focuses on the process of rebuilding relationships and reconnecting with family, both of which are critical to successful reentry. The focus is on the role that social capital plays as one of the most important factors shaping the re-entry experience