Why Re-entry?

The topic of re-entry is not new, but rather an old discussion that has been highlighted due to recently passed legislation within the past few years. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why this discussion has been highlighted is because of the enormous increase in incarceration rates over the past decade.

Re-entry is a National Problem…

Since the majority of those entering the criminal justice system will return to the community at some point, each person needs a re-entry plan. However, with the growing number of prisoners, re-entry has become a huge topic.

The National Reentry Resource Center has painted some frightening statistics. Did you know that…

1 out of 198 US residents was under federal or state corrections at the end of 2008

More than 5 million individuals were on probation or parole at the end of 2008.

More than 735,000 individuals were released from state and federal prisons in 2008, an increase of 20 percent from 2000.

Approximately 9 million individuals are released from jail each year.

In a study of 15 states, more than two-thirds of state prisoners released in 1994 were re-arrested and more than half returned to prison within three years of their release.

In 2008, parole violators accounted for 34.2 percent of all prison admissions, 36.2 percent of state admissions, and 8.2 percent of federal admissions.

A quarter of adults exiting parole in 2008 — 133,947 individuals — returned to prison as a result of violating their terms of supervision, and 9 percent of adults exiting parole returned to prison as a result of a new conviction.