Abstract
In Rethinking the Reentry Paradigm: A Blueprint for Action, Melinda Schlager, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Texas A&M University—Commerce, provides an extensive overview of the reentry literature, related issues, while integrating micro- and macro-level dimensions of reentry. This volume contributes to the literature in two ways: (1) it provides an up-to-date, comprehensive treatise on offender reentry and (2) presents an alternative way of thinking about the reentry paradigm.
This book represents a review and synthesis of existing research and theory and is presented in 16 chapters. The first two chapters present the historical context of offender reentry, including the social, political, and economic contributions of mass incarceration and the role parole plays in the reentry process. Chapters 3–16 are divided into three distinct parts. Part I is comprised of eight chapters that provide the reader with insight into the various dimensions of offender reentry. Part II consists of seven chapters that provide a variety of lenses offender reentry can be viewed through. Finally, in Part III, the author proposes an alternative reentry paradigm.
Part I
This section presents various issues impacting the offender reentry process. It offers sound insight into the challenges many offenders face upon reentry into the community. The chapters in this section are structured and organized in the same manner; first, the author provides a historical context through a brief review of the literature. Next, the current trends and considerations are discussed. Finally, efforts to address issues associated with each reentry dimension are outlined.
Chapters 3 and 4 offer readers insight into the employment and housing challenges ex-prisoners face. Schlager demonstrates that for offenders returning to society, finding housing and employment is a daunting task that is made more difficult by federal laws that limit offenders’ access to public housing and the stigma that makes employment difficult to obtain.
In Chapters 5 and 6, Schlager confronts an aspect of reentry (family and children) that she contends has received little attention despite being a “critical component of the reentry process” (p. 85). Most offenders leave family members behind when they are incarcerated and a significant proportion are parents; however, the author asserts that little thought is given to how families are impacted by the incarceration of a family member.
The final portion of Part I, Chapters 7 and 8, explores the physical and mental health of offenders. Schlager contends that offenders leaving prison with health problems are a considerable problem, especially given that many offenders are returning to overburden and underresourced communities. She notes that health needs of offenders are a considerable barrier to reentry. The stigma attached to the offender status often makes it significantly difficult for offenders to receive treatment, which in turn can limit their ability to obtain and maintain employment. Upon reentry, the community is burdened with providing treatment to offenders, a responsibility that is often begrudgingly accepted.
Part II
In Part II, Schlager places the dimensions of reentry within various frameworks. Chapter 9 focuses on risk as a decision-making mechanism. The author contends that virtually all decisions regarding offenders are based on risk; specifically that how likely offenders will recidivate is of utmost importance. This chapter gives readers a clear definition of what risk factors are, the methods with which risk is predicted, and the ways in which recidivism is measured. While recidivism is often used as the measure of an offender’s likelihood of committing a new crime, actual measures are often lacking.
Building on Chapter 9, Chapter 10 discusses the issues of resilience and desistance. Here, Schlager contends that recidivism and resilience are opposite ends of the risk continuum with desistors at the center. She emphasizes differentiating individuals who never engage in crime from those who commit new crimes. This chapter reveals the need to understand why (a) some individuals continue to commit new crime, (b) some never commit new crime, (c) and some refrain from committing new crime, whether temporarily or permanently.
Related to risk, Chapter 11 discusses the role that risk management and reduction has in determining who is released back into the community. She maintains that where risk/need assessment instruments are used to assess offenders’ risk of recidivism, risk reduction is geared toward reducing offenders’ likelihood of recidivism by targeting specific needs. A gap exists between identifying offenders and providing treatment and program. It is suggested that policy and practice should focus on targeting criminogenic needs through risk reduction in order to promote better outcomes.
Chapter 12 contextualizes reentry within a stigma framework. Schlager maintains that stigma significantly impacts our perspective of reentry. The labeling of offenders places obstacles that negatively impact reentry. The author ties stigma back to Part I and points out that stigma influences offenders’ access to employment and housing as well as personal and professional associations. Following labeling theory, Schlager asserts that “stigma can and does impact how offenders view themselves and how others view them” (p. 198).
Chapter 13 focuses on gender and reentry. Drawing on the existing literature, Schlager outlines an argument for the consideration of the female reentry experience. Here, Schlager illustrates the differences that exist between the female and male reentry experience. The review of the literature provides the reader with insight into the special challenges female offenders face in addition the issues discussed earlier.
Chapter 14 presents the reentry problem from the community level. Schlager asserts that offender reentry is a community process. She further contends that when an individual is incarcerated and then returns, the community is affected. The social costs associated with incarceration includes the loss of human capital, disruption of social networks, reduced collective efficacy, and the inability to informally control behavior. As offender reentry is often geographically concentrated, it has significant destabilizing effects for that community.
Part III
Part III offers the readers an alternative reentry paradigm, one that focuses on offender reintegration. Our traditional approach to the reentry problem is to focus on individual issues, which Schlager contends prevents us from being able to think of the reentry problem broadly. Schlager advocates for a strength-based approach to reentry, which emphasizes problem solving. This paradigm posits that individuals possess the capability to take control of their lives in meaningful ways. Emphasis is placed on collaboration between offenders, practitioners, and the community. The key to successful reentry is getting cooperation from the community. Again, the community plays a larger role in the reentry process. Without cooperation from the community, offenders face numerous challenges. The strengths-based approach emphasizes collaboration, empowering offenders, and cooperation as crucial elements of the reentry process. Our problem-oriented approach to reentry does little to motivate offenders to be law-abiding citizens or encourage the cooperation of the community. Offender reentry affects the community as a whole, and as Schlager contends “… we must up-end the status quo and accept that we have a collective moral obligation to address a problem the consequences of which are damaging to us all” (p. 284).
Overall, Rethinking the Reentry Paradigm: A Blueprint for Action provides an insightful and sobering illustration of the challenges offenders face upon reentry into the community. These barriers impede successful reintegration. With most offenders eventually returning to the community, it is paramount that communities and practitioners attempt to minimize the challenges offenders face, especially given that recidivism has broader implications for society as a whole. This text is well suited to be a supplemental text in graduate courses geared toward offender reentry. Additionally, this text would be a good reference for scholars and practitioners. Finally, individuals outside of the field of criminal justice could benefit from this text.