Holistic reentry: A multidimensional analysis of the revolving prison door

Prisons in our nation today are filled beyond capacity with drug-addicted men and women who are afflicted with physical and mental health issues, extensive criminal histories, and deficits in education and employment skills. Evidence of the revolving-door cycle suggests that prisoners are not adequately prepared to face life outside the gates upon release. Previous studies of reentry do not provide a complete understanding of the cycle because they fail to include multicomponent analyses of reentry that assess non-programmatic as well as programmatic aspects of prison experience, and outcomes that measure level of reintegration in addition to recidivism. In contrast, this study of secondary data investigates the complex relationship linking prison experience, post-release reintegration, and recidivism for 120 drug-addicted offenders who had been incarcerated in Maryland Division of Correction prisons and eventually returned to Baltimore, Maryland. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression analysis procedures are employed to examine whether programmatic and non-programmatic aspects of prison experience predict post-release reintegration, defined as employment and heroin use. A second model assesses whether both prison experience and post-release reintegration predict recidivism---defined as involvement in criminal activity---after release. The final model assesses whether reintegration alone predicts post-release recidivism. Pre-prison characteristics of offenders are additionally included in all models. Findings show that programmatic and non-programmatic aspects of prison experience somewhat predict both heroin use and employment in the community following release. Pre-prison heroin use and employment additionally predict post-release reintegration outcomes. Recidivism is predicted by post-release heroin use, but is not predicted by pre-prison characteristics, prison experience, or post-release employment. The conclusions presented in this reentry study emphasize the importance of assessing multiple aspects of prison experience in reentry research, including both programmatic and non-programmatic features. A reintegration component must additionally be included to provide an understanding of how prison experience relates to offender behavior in the community upon release. Acquiring knowledge of the relationship between prison experience and post-release reintegration will offer researchers, correctional officials, and policymakers a comprehensive understanding of the processes that lead to reoffending.