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Abstract
In Houston, Texas, returning prisoners face many challenges, from securing housing and employment to rebuilding relationships with their families and support networks, while at the same time attempting to avoid old pathways to criminal behavior and substance abuse. The impact of prisoner reentry, however, extends far beyond these individuals and their families and friends. The communities to which former prisoners return and the local government and social service networks that serve these communities have a significant stake in the successful reintegration of returning prisoners. This research brief explores prisoner reentry from the perspective of Houston stakeholders and community members.
Introduction
In Texas each year, over 70,000 men and women are released from
state prisons and state jails, and more than one in five return to the
Houston metro area.1 These returning prisoners face a range of
challenges, from securing housing and employment to rebuilding
relationships with their families and support networks. They must
deal with these issues while at the same time avoiding old pathways
to criminal behavior and, in some cases, substance abuse. The impact
of prisoner reentry, however, extends far beyond these individuals
and their families and friends. The communities to which former
prisoners return as well as the local government and social service
networks that serve these communities have a significant stake in the
successful reintegration of returning prisoners.
This research brief explores prisoner reentry from the perspective
of Houston stakeholders and community members. The
stakeholders’ views were elicited through semi-structured telephone
interviews with service providers, local advocates, and officials in
corrections, parole, probation, policing, and city government. These
perspectives were supplemented with findings from a series of focus
groups comprised of residents of Houston neighborhoods with the
greatest concentrations of returning prisoners.2
The aim of this policy brief is to provide local context on the issue of
prisoner reentry in Houston, complementing other publications
from Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry,
a multifaceted research effort that focuses on the experiences of
returning prisoners and their families (see sidebar to the left for
more information). The report begins by describing stakeholder and
resident views on the challenges faced by prisoners returning to
Houston, particularly in the areas of housing, employment, and
substance abuse. We then present perspectives on the criminal
justice policies and practices that effect reentry success or failure.
The report concludes with a discussion of stakeholder and resident
perspectives on the role of the community, local government, and
the nonprofit sector in reentry.
(End of excerpt. The entire
report is available in PDF format.)
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