Incarceration Barriers

Incarceration rates within the United States are among the highest in the world, but when sentences come to an end, offenders are released back into the community. As hundreds of thousands of offenders are released from prison each year, the stigma of being an ex-prisoner results in a multitude of obstacles, such as housing, employment, and relationships (Plante, 2015). Because reintegration back into the community can be such a difficult process, attention needs to be given to reentry barriers and effective reentry programs are necessary. Being incarcerated can have harmful effects as incarceration alone has been shown to actually increase recidivism (Plante, 2015). Individuals that are incarcerated face many struggles when being released back into the community. For example, if an individual is incarcerated at a young age, they are unable to further their education or transition into adulthood. There is also a negative stigma that is associated with being an offender, which may prevent an individual from being able to obtain employment or acquire housing. Ex-offenders often in live in lower-class neighborhoods with high crime rates. Another factor that limits employment opportunities is that many offenders lack marketable skills and …show more content…
It is important that programs implement evidenced-based practices, such as cognitive-behavioral techniques, and are evaluated in order to identify whether or not such programs have their intended effects on recidivism. Programs that implement cognitive-behavioral components and provide opportunities for offenders to modify their behaviors through skill-building activities have had positive results. While limited data is available, studies have shown that programs that adhere to the RNR model, and target high- and moderate-risk offenders are effective in reducing recidivism (Jonson & Cullen,