Abstract:

Returning from prison can be a daunting experience and a difficult adjustment for anyone. Prisoner reentry programs are needed for public policies advocating for a new approach to an old problem: How do recently released inmates successfully reenter society once they have served their societal debt? There are tremendous obstacles to reentering society, yet housing is among the most pressing reentry problems to solve. In our research, we discuss and consider the public policy issue most pertinent to successful reentry, affordable, and available housing as a necessity for returning inmates. Housing is key to solving even a tiny part of a much bigger problem in criminal justice public policy circles: the public management of crime in America.