Reentry, probation, and parole encompass a wide array of issues that interact with questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and/or age. When beginning your searches look at some of the terms in the graphic on this page and then limit by adding a group of similar socio-economic, ethnic, gender, etc...
Reentry, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics is defined as,
A broad term used to refer to issues related to the transition of offenders from prison to community supervision. Reentry often refers to persons released from State or Federal prisons or discharged from State parole, Federal parole, or Federal Supervised Release.
Parole, according to West's Encyclopedia of American Law is defined as,
The conditional release of a person convicted of a crime prior to the expiration of that person's term of imprisonment, subject to both the supervision of the correctional authorities during the remainder of the term and a resumption of the imprisonment upon violation of the conditions imposed.
Probation, according to West's Encyclopedia of American Law, is defined as,
A sentence whereby a convict is released from confinement but is still under court supervision; a testing or a trial period. Probation can be given in lieu of a prison term or can suspend a prison sentence if the convict has consistently demonstrated good behavior. The status of a convicted person who is given some freedom on the condition that for a specified period he or she act in a manner approved by a special officer to whom the person must report.
Offender Reentry by
In this comprehensive exploration of the core issues surrounding offender reentry, Elaine Gunnison and Jacqueline Helfgott highlight the constant tension between policies meant to ensure smooth reintegration and the social forces¿especially the stigma of a criminal record¿that can prevent it from happening.
Gunnison and Helfgott focus on the factors that enhance reentry success as they address challenges related to race, class, and gender. Drawing on accounts from corrections professionals and former inmates to illustrate the real-life consequences of reentry policy, they shed light on one of the key criminal justice issues of our time.
Releasing Prisoners, Redeeming Communities by
In the middle of the first decade of the twenty-first century,African Americans made up approximately twelve percent ofthe United States population but close to forty percent of the United States prison population. Now, in the latter half of the decade, the nation is in the midst of the largest multi-year discharge of prisoners in its history. In Releasing Prisoners, Redeeming Communities, Anthony C. Thompson discusses what is likely to happen to these ex-offenders and why. For Thompson, any discussion of ex-offender reentry is, de facto, a question of race. After laying out the statistics, he identifies the ways in which media and politics have contributed to the problem, especially through stereotyping and racial bias. Well aware of the potential consequences if this country fails to act, Thompson offers concrete, realizable ideas of how our policies could, and should, change.
Reexamining Reentry by
Reexamining Reentry takes an in-depth look at how and why prisoner reentry programs are developed. Furthermore, this book explains how having access to these programs, or not, could potentially stymie the community reintegration of the formerly incarcerated. All too often we see the pervasive criminalization of the formerly incarcerated even after serving their sentences and being released into the general public. What makes this text different from many others that focus on prisoner reentry is the focus on empowerment strategies for the participant of the program rather than the deficits experienced by prison populations while attempting to transition. This book will show how the policies, social labeling and discrimination, trauma experienced prior to and during incarceration, as well as media interpretation of the population prior to incarceration all work together to further criminalize populations that have paid their respective debts to society.
Convicted and Condemned by
Winner, W. E. B. DuBois Distinguished Book Award presented by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists Examines the lifelong consequences of a felony conviction through the compelling words of former prisoners Felony convictions restrict social interactions and hinder felons' efforts to reintegrate into society. The educational and vocational training offered in many prisons are typically not recognized by accredited educational institutions as acceptable course work or by employers as valid work experience, making it difficult for recently-released prisoners to find jobs. Families often will not or cannot allow their formerly incarcerated relatives to live with them. In many states, those with felony convictions cannot receive financial aid for further education, vote in elections, receive welfare benefits, or live in public housing. In short, they are not treated as full citizens, and every year, hundreds of thousands of people released from prison are forced to live on the margins of society. Convicted and Condemned explores the issue of prisoner reentry from the felons' perspective. It features the voices of formerly incarcerated felons as they attempt to reconnect with family, learn how to acclimate to society, try to secure housing, find a job, and complete a host of other important goals. By examining national housing, education and employment policies implemented at the state and local levels, Keesha Middlemass shows how the law challenges and undermines prisoner reentry and creates second-class citizens. Even if the criminal justice system never convicted another person of a felony, millions of women and men would still have to figure out how to reenter society, essentially on their own. A sobering account of the after-effects of mass incarceration, Convicted and Condemned is a powerful exploration of how individuals, and society as a whole, suffer when a felony conviction exacts a punishment that never ends.