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Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration
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Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration



February 2015 | 344 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Understanding and Improving Prisoner Reentry Outcomes  

"Mass imprisonment and mass prisoner reentry are two faces of the same coin.  In a comprehensive and penetrating analysis, Daniel Mears and Joshua Cochran unravel the causes of this pressing problem, detail the challenges confronting released prisoners, and provide an evidence-based blueprint for successfully reintegrating offenders into the community.  Scholarly yet accessible, this volume is essential reading—whether by academics or students—for anyone wishing to understand the chief policy issue facing American corrections."
Francis T. Cullen
Distinguished Research Professor, University of Cincinnati

Prisoner Reentry is an engaging and comprehensive examination of prisoner reentry and how to improve public safety, well-being, and justice in the “era of mass incarceration.” Renowned authors Daniel P. Mears and Joshua C. Cochran investigate historical trends in incarceration and punishment policy, the salience of in-prison and post-prison contexts and experiences for reentry, and the importance of understanding group differences in offending, punishment, and social context. Using extensive reliance on both theory and empirical research, the authors identify how reentry reflects criminal justice policy in America and, at the same time, has profound implications for crime prevention and justice. Readers will develop a diverse foundation for current policies, identify the implications of reentry for families, community, and society at large, and gain a conceptual and empirical toolkit for analyzing and improving the lives of those released from prison.
 
Chapter 1: Introduction
Mass Incarceration and Reentry

 
The Goals of This Book

 
Criminological “Versus” Criminal Justice Theory and Research

 
Terminology and Scope

 
Organization of the Book

 
 
Chapter 2: Historical Trends in Corrections and Reentry Policy and Practice
Trends in Correctional Populations: The Era of Mass Corrections

 
Trends in Reentry Policy and Practice

 
The Theory, or Causal Logic, of the Punitive Turn in Sanctioning Convicted Felons

 
Implications of Historical Trends in Incarceration and Reentry Policy and Practice

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 3: The Causes of Mass Incarceration and Thus Mass Reentry
Causal Complexity in Understanding the Punitive Turn

 
Cause 1: Not Crime

 
Cause 2: Public Demand for Increased Punitive Sanctioning

 
Cause 3: Conservatism, Race, Moral Panics, and the Politicization of Crime

 
Cause 4: Increased Belief in the Idea That Individual Responsibility Matters Most

 
Cause 5: Exaggerated Claims for Incarceration

 
Cause 6: Discounting Effectiveness of Non-Incarcerative Sanctions

 
Cause 7: Inadequate Research Documenting the Need for Specific Types of Sanctions

 
Cause 8: Economics

 
Cause 9. Systems-Level Forces and Dynamics

 
Causal Complexity Revisited

 
Conclusion, or Why Understanding the Punitive Turn Is Relevant for Reentry Policy

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 4: Profile of the Inmate Population
Why Inmate and Ex-Prisoner Characteristics Matter

 
Inmate and Ex-Prisoner Characteristics

 
The “Typical Inmate” Profile

 
Why Inmate Profiles Change Over Time

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 5: The Prison Experience
Why What Happens in Prison Is Relevant for Understanding Reentry

 
The Implications of In-Prison Crime and Misconduct

 
Prison Experiences that May Have Implications for Prisoner Reentry

 
How Inmates Perceive Themselves and the Prison Experience and Why It Matters

 
The (Lack of) Evidence on the Effectiveness of Incarceration

 
Concepts of What the Prison Experience Should Be

 
Making Greater Accountability Happen

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 6: The Reentry Experience and Reentry Challenges
The Reentry Process and Experience

 
The Logic of “Invisible” Punishments and Their Consequences

 
Specific Challenges During Reentry

 
Implications of Reentry Challenges for Ex-Prisoners and Families and Communities

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 7: Recidivism and Risk Prediction
The Atheoretical Foundation of Mass Incarceration

 
The A Priori, Theoretically Predictable Consequences of Incarceration

 
Recidivism Rates—A Depressing Problem

 
Risk Prediction Approaches

 
Risk Prediction Success

 
The Challenges of Risk Prediction

 
Approaches to Improve Risk Prediction

 
Shifting the Focus of Risk Prediction

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 8: Diverse Inmate Populations and Reentry
The Diversity of the Inmate and Ex-Prisoner Population and Why It Matters

 
The Youngest Ex-Prisoners

 
Female Ex-Prisoners

 
Racial and Ethnic Minority Ex-Prisoners

 
Other Groups of Ex-Prisoners

 
Super-Maximum Security Ex-Prisoners

 
Drug-Abusing Ex-Prisoners

 
Mentally Ill or Learning Disabled Ex-Prisoners

 
Still Other Groups of Ex-Prisoners

 
Revisiting Sanctioning and Reentry

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 9: Reentry Policy and What Works to Improve Reentry Outcomes
The Ineffectiveness of Incarceration in Improving Public Safety or Other Outcomes

 
The Ineffectiveness of Incarceration Due to Collateral Consequences

 
Corrections Efforts Frequently Rest on Weak Theoretical and Empirical Grounds

 
Minimal Evaluation of Most Reentry Policies, Programs, and Practices

 
Pre-Prison, In-Prison, and Postrelease Approaches to Successful Reentry

 
General Guidelines and Strategies for Improving Reentry

 
The Importance of Evidence of Cost-Efficiency, Not Just Impacts

 
The Need for an Offender, Victim, and Community Justice System

 
Reentry Lessons and Convicted Felons Who Don’t Go to Prison

 
The Importance of Government Accountability and Evidence-Based Practice

 
Conclusion

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 10: Conclusion

"Mass imprisonment and mass prisoner reentry are two faces of the same coin.  In a comprehensive and penetrating analysis, Daniel Mears and Joshua Cochran unravel the causes of this pressing problem, detail the challenges confronting released prisoners, and provide an evidence-based blueprint for successfully reintegrating offenders into the community.  Scholarly yet accessible, this volume is essential reading—whether by academics or students—for anyone wishing to understand the chief policy issue facing American corrections."

Francis T. Cullen
Distinguished Research Professor, University of Cincinnati

"Mears and Cochran have produced a terrific book that is both comprehensive and accessible. By placing reentry in the particular American context of mass incarceration, they have made an important contribution to the contemporary debate about penal policy. If you only want to read one book about today’s American penal system and its challenges for reentry, read this one."

Todd R. Clear
Provost, Rutgers University-Newark

"In Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration, Mears and Cochran confront the absurdity and human toll of America’s mass incarceration project and serve up provocative questions, serious scholarship, and clear-minded proposals for a new approach to reintegrating offenders into society. If we take seriously prisoner reentry, and we should, Mears and Cochran have given us the field manual."

Brandon C. Welsh
Professor of Criminology, Northeastern University, and editor of Experimental Criminology: Prospects for Advancing Science and Public Policy

“Excellent book. It is timely, current, cogent and the authors make compelling arguments. The authors do a fine job of putting into perspective the challenges of re-entry and debunking myths related to reintegration. I will highly recommend the book.”

Robert Bing
University of Texas at Arlington

“I like its comprehensive nature.  Many of the observations offered bode well with the example and stories that I draw upon in class – many from my own experience.”

Curtis R. Blakely, Ph.D.
Truman State University

“My overall assessment of the text is that it is ‘outstanding’.  The information is well organized, the content is exceptional and it is appropriate for undergraduate students.” 

Professor Joanne C. Metzger, J.D.
Temple University

This is very good understanding on mass incarceration and reentry.

Miss Maria Adams
Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, Surrey University
September 15, 2016

This book should be used for supplementary reading in the penology modules that the course runs in second and third year. I will be recommending this to the module leader.

Miss Emily Loftus
Sport, Public Services, Travel and Tourism, South Essex College
March 26, 2015

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 6


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