Beyond Recidivism

Understanding reentry experiences after incarcerationPrison in the United States often has a revolving door, with droves of formerly incarcerated people ultimately finding themselves behind bars again. In Beyond Recidivism, Andrea Leverentz, Elsa Y. Chen, and Johnna Christian bring together a leading group of interdisciplinary scholars to examine this phenomenon using several approaches to research on recently released prisoners returning to their lives. They focus on the social context of reentry and look at the stories returning prisoners tell, including such key issues as when they choose to reveal (or not) their criminal histories. Drawing on contemporary studies, contributors examine the best ideas that have emerged over the last decade to understanding the challenges prisoners face upon reentering society. Together, they present a complete picture of prisoner reentry, including real-world recommendations for policies to ensure the well-being of returning prisoners, regardless of their past mistakes.

A timely and important volume at the cutting edge of research on prisoner reentry and reintegration, Beyond Recidivism delivers on its promise to skillfully examine critical questions regarding the social, economic, and cultural lives of the formerly incarcerated and their families. This book is essential reading for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working to address the harms of mass incarceration., Beyond Recidivism is an exceptional contribution to the burgeoning literature on prisoner reentry and is a must read for both scholars and policymakers working in this field. Scholars will appreciate the methodological insights it provides on collecting data in prisons, in jails, and among reentry populations as well as the recognition of how the intersection of race and gender shape the experiences of returning offenders. Policymakers should take note of the inherent shortcomings of recidivism measures, the availability of programs for returning offenders and, most notably, the import of research for correctional policy. Simply put, this is a stunning contribution to research on prisoner reentry., There are many insightful ways to understand the consequences of prison than a simple reliance on recidivism. This book describes a wonderful range of them. It is a cure for the recidivism obsession., Social workers, criminologists, criminal justice professionals, and sociologists would find this book particularly informative in developing research studies. Policy makers, practitioners, and people working at agencies would also find the book useful in understanding the reentering population and the benefits and limitations of risk-needs assessment instruments.

Andrea Leverentz is Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Massachusetts Boston. She is the author of The Ex-Prisoner’s Dilemma: How Women Negotiate Competing Narratives of Reentry and Desistance.Elsa Y. Chen is Professor of Political Science and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Santa Clara University.Johnna Christian is Associate Professor at the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Newark.