Navigating Mainstream Institutions and Non-Traditional Alternatives Post-Incarceration

Reducing recidivism rates is a key challenge for criminal justice practitioners and policymakers. Reintegration involves increased participation in traditional social, economic and political institutions aided by social support as people transition home from prison. Formerly incarcerated individuals encounter barriers to successful reentry and long-term reintegration due to criminal record (or “CORI” in Massachusetts) exclusions.

However, this population may also strategically avoid contact with mainstream or “surveilling” institutions, and as a result, stand on the outskirts of society. As a reentry leader in Boston describes, the reason for an employment rejection “may not be your CORI, it might be your credit [score].” Distrust of the law and those who enforce it can further negatively influence perceptions as negative sentiment travels swiftly through communities via social networks.

However, little is known about how people make decisions about engaging in mainstream or alternative sources (such as banks compared to payday loans), perceived advantages or consequences of these choices, whether distrust of law enforcement and other factors shape these choices, and whether institutional engagement varies as people desist from crime or have fewer interactions with the criminal justice system. Understanding this (dis)engagement process is critical for promoting public safety and improving reintegration into society for the approximate 600,000 prisoners who return to their communities annually and begin navigating the unsteady reentry terrain.

Through a partnership with the Office of Returning Citizens (ORC) in Boston, MA, the research project will interview three sets of adults. First, those who have visited the ORC and were last released from prison at least one year ago will be interviewed (Group 1). The researchers will ask each person from this group to identify individuals who are also formerly incarcerated but have not received any ORC services for the next set of interviews (Group 2).

Then returning citizens who are within a year post-release will be interviewed through the ORC (Group 3). In-depth, one-on-one interviews with approximately 120 men and women will provide novel data on how people perceive, interact with, and avoid four non-criminal justice domains: medical, financial, political, and employment. The project will examine whether legal cynicism and broader systemic distrust influence choices to connect with such entities, and the potential implications of exclusion and avoidance in both the immediate reentry period and long-term integration process.

Recognizing the roles race, gender and intersectionality play in reentry experiences, the project will examine similarities and differences across study participants. The policy recommendations derived from this study will not only have direct implications for Boston and the surrounding area, but will also be adaptable to other jurisdictions that release large portions of incarcerated adults back to marginalized communities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.