How Best To Reintegrate Ex-Prisoners?

"Two-thirds of those released from prison theatre inwards the the U.S. volition endure re-arrested within three years, creating an incarceration wheel that is detrimental to individuals, families, and communities." So writes Jennifer L. Doleac in "Strategies to productively reincorporate the formerly-incarcerated into communities: A review of the literature" (posted on SSRN, July 21, 2018), Doleac's approach is straightforward: aspect at the studies. In particular, aspect at fairly recent studies done since 2010 that purpose a "randomized controlled trial" approach--that is, an approach where a grouping of participants are randomly assigned either to have a particular plan or non to have it. When this approach is carried out effectively, comparison the "treatment group" together with the "control group" provides a reasonable Earth for drawing inferences virtually what industrial plant together with what doesn't.

Here's a listing of the interventions on which Doleac finds but about fairly recent studies using randomized controlled trial approaches. Some of the studies focus on recidivism, piece others aspect at outcomes similar occupation or gaining additional education. 

I'll allow you lot read Doleac's literature review for details of private studies. But I'll but notice hither that this form of listing does non seek to observe what 1 expects or hopes powerfulness endure true. 

For example, the "bad bets" at the bottom all bring their advocates. But based on the evidence, Doleac writes concerning these programs: 

"Many programs focus on increasing occupation for people alongside criminal records, alongside the promise that access to a steady chore volition preclude reoffending. This topic has been studied more than others, together with the interrogation results are mixed. Transitional jobs programs furnish temporary, subsidized jobs together with soft-skills preparation to those trying to transition into the private sector workforce. multiple rigorous studies show that transitional jobs programs are ineffective at increasing post-program employment, and have picayune to no effect on recidivism. ...

"Ban the Box policies seek to increment access to occupation past times prohibiting employers from holler for virtually criminal records until belatedly inwards the hiring process. Research shows that Ban the Box policies are ineffective at increasing occupation for people alongside criminal records,and bring the unintended upshot of reducing occupation for immature dark men withoutcriminal records (because employers assume that applicants from this grouping are to a greater extent than likely to bring a tape when they cannot enquire directly). The cyberspace effect is a reduction inwards employment for young, low-skilled dark men--the contrary of what proponents of this policy hoped to achieve. ... 

"Given the array of challenges faced past times people who wheel through the criminal judge system, a pop approach is to endeavor to address many needs at once. Two evaluations of highly-respected reentry programs providing wrap-around services institute picayune to no effect on subsequent recidivism. More recently, 2 large-scale evaluations of federal programs funding wrap-around services inwards communities across the province both institute increases in recidivism for the handling groups. ... Together, these studies suggest that these multi-faceted, labor-intensive (and thus expensive) interventions may endure trying to produce also much together with thus produce non produce anything well. Since this is a pop approach in cities together with counties across the country, leaders should endure skeptical virtually the effectiveness of their electrical flow programs."

Conversely, hither are but about comments on what seems most promising, based on the actual studies. From Doleac:

"Court-issued rehabilitation certi ficates tin endure presented to employers every bit a signal of recipients' rehabilitation. One written report institute that court-issued certi ficates increased access to employment for individuals alongside felony convictions. This could endure because they furnish valuable information to employers virtually work-readiness, or because employers perceive the court-issued certi ficates every bit protection against negligent hiring lawsuits. In either case, this strategy is promising together with worth farther study. The effect on recidivism is currently unknown. ...

"A large portion of people who are arrested together with incarcerated endure from mental illness, together with many to a greater extent than are hindered past times emotional trauma together with miserable decision-making strategies. Therapy together with counseling could bring a meaningful touching on on the successful reintegration of these individuals. Programs focused on mental wellness include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) together with multisystemic therapy (MST). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 growing trunk of testify supports CBT every bit a cost-effective intervention, though the testify on MST is to a greater extent than mixed together with may endure context-dependent. In both cases, it is unclear how much effectiveness volition autumn if programs are scaled upwardly to serve to a greater extent than people: if they require highly-trained psychologists to send the sessions, the scalability volition endure limited. ...

"Diverting low-risk offenders to community supervision instead of incarceration appears to endure highly effective. Electronic monitoring is used every bit an choice to brusk incarceration spells inwards several countries, together with inwards those contexts has reduced recidivism rates together with increased economical well-being together with educational attainment. Court deferrals--which allow low-risk, non-violent felony defendants to avoid a conviction if they successfully consummate probation--reduce recidivism rates together with increment employment. And an innovative diversion program for non-violent juvenile offenders that provides grouping mentoring together with instruction inwards virtue theory was shown to trim recidivism relative to measure diversion to community service. ...

"Many people coming out of jail or prison theatre may produce goodness from regime or community support, but many others powerfulness endure amend off if nosotros left them alone. (This is peculiarly probable if the programs they would endure referred to are non effective.) A various gear upwardly of high-quality studies consider the effects of reducing the intensity of community supervision. All institute that reducing intensity of supervision (for example, requiring fewer meetings or check-ins with probation officers) has no touching on on recidivism rates, together with that it genuinely reduces recidivism for low-risk boys (age fifteen or younger). That is, for less money, together with less hassle to those who are court-supervised, nosotros could laissez passer the same together with fifty-fifty amend world security outcomes. This approach is worth exploring inwards a multifariousness of contexts, together with appears to endure effective for high-risk every bit good every bit low-risk offenders. ... At this point, at that topographic point is substantial evidence, from a multifariousness of contexts, that increasing the intensity of community supervision has no world security benefi ts together with inwards but about cases increases recidivism. It is also to a greater extent than expensive. It is unclear what the optimal amount of supervision is for various types of offenders, but it's clearly lower than electrical flow levels. ... 

"[A]nother policy that has nifty potential to trim recidivism together with incarceration
rates is expanding deoxyribonucleic acid databases. Two studies present that those charged or convicted of
felonies are dramatically less probable to reoffend when they are added to a regime deoxyribonucleic acid database, due to the higher likelihood that they would larn caught. Deterring recidivism inwards this agency is extremely cost-effective, together with reveals that many offenders produce non demand additional supports to remain out of trouble."

Doleac emphasizes that the testify on many of these programs is non every bit strong every bit 1 powerfulness prefer, together with at that topographic point is for sure room for to a greater extent than research. But I would add together that those looking to become beyond interrogation together with enact a wide-ranging modification of policies should endure considering the existing research, too.