Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/KamalaMallikKane

More than 8 in 10 returning prisoners have chronic physical, mental, or substance abuse conditions. This research report demonstrates how each of these health conditions is associated with distinct reentry challenges and service needs. Using a representative sample of men and women from the Urban Institute’s multistate Returning Home study, we assessed health status at release and gathered data on reintegration experiences through multiple postrelease interviews. We present typologies of reentry experiences by health status, detailing individuals' success finding housing and employment, reconnecting with family, abstaining from substance use and crime, and avoiding reincarceration. Using these typologies, we conclude with targeted strategies to improve service delivery and reentry outcomes.

This research brief discusses the health challenges faced by male prisoners being released to Chicago, Illinois. Three out of ten survey respondents reported having a chronic physical or mental health condition, but it is likely that even higher shares have health problems, given that many diseases can remain undetected in the absence of routine screening and medical care. Study participants had high expectations for maintaining good health after release, but few means of doing so: fewer than 10% reported a referral to health care from prison and over 80% were uninsured. One year after release, health problems were not linked to recidivism, but mental illness was associated with increased substance use and unemployment.

Truth in sentencing (TIS) refers to a variety of policies aimed at reducing the difference between sentences imposed and the actual time offenders serve in prison. Federal TIS initiatives within the 1994 Crime Act were found to have a relatively minor influence on the states: thirty states did not change their existing TIS laws, and eleven states made modest changes. The more extensive reforms made in the remaining states were often related to ongoing reform processes rather than the federal initiative. Examining the influence of state TIS policies on prison populations, this study found no uniform effect of TIS, but rather concludes that impacts should be evaluated within a state-specific context. Results from seven states -- Georgia, Washington, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah -- varied because of differences in sentencing structure, other concurrent reforms, and declines in violent crime.

This evaluation documents key features of Brooklyn's Felony Domestic Violence Court model, and traces its development, implementation, challenges, evolution, and expansion. We also conducted a pre/post evaluation of how the model influences case processing, outcomes, and recidivism. We found that the existence of the specialized court seemed to change the types of cases entering it, in that prosecutors were more likely to indict cases with less severe police charges than before. This may have influenced case processing, disposition, and sentencing patterns. FDVC victims were more likely to be assigned an advocate, and defendants on pre-disposition release were more likely to be required to participate in a batterers’ intervention program. The Court itself produced a higher rate of disposition by guilty plea, which saves the system time and money. Interpretations of recidivism findings are severely constrained by limitations in the recidivism data and the pre/post design. We consistently found that criminal history, especially criminal contempt of court orders, predicted how well defendants performed pre- and post-disposition. Recommendations for future research efforts are offered.

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