Each year more than 700,000 adult inmates are released from state and federal prisons after completing their sentence. These ex-offenders often return to their community not much differently from the way they went into prison. Many are lacking sufficient education, have little or no access to labor markets, and often few connections to good social support networks. They are likely to experience drug addiction, domestic violence, mental illness and countless other challenges that often contribute to an increased likelihood of return to criminal activity, arrest, and subsequent re-incarceration. Ex-offenders may also have difficulty re-joining with family members, who may also not be sufficiently equipped to accept the ex-offender back into the household.…show more content… This number reflects offenders who are entering a prison as well as those being released. Of the offenders who are leaving prison there are those convicted of a variety of crimes, including drug offenses, property crimes, and violent offenders. Many of the ex-offenders are released unconditionally, or have been placed under some form of parole supervision. Studies have shown that a high percentage of these offenders will re-offend with as many as 2 out of 3 being likely to be re-arrested and returned to prison within three years of their release date. (Wikoff, et al, 2012)
Some theories indicate this may be due to a certain percentage of prisoners becoming institutionalized, which may make it difficult for some to reintegrate successfully back into society. Some research indicates that by developing and instituting specialized and targeted services towards these offenders both before and after release may improve their ability to return to the community.
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