Corrections_Today_May_June_2019

n RE-ENTRY

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fully rehabilitated in prison, and would only return to the community when they were prepared to be law abiding cit- izens. Previous literature has suggested that an absence of community support has the potential to affect the stability of both the offender and the community at large. Ac- cording to a 2004 study by Browning, Feinberg & Dietz, community residents that have ties and social exchanges with their neighbors may contribute toward mutual trust and solidarity, promoting pro-social action. While commu- nity support is important during the transition from prison to the community process, it is essential to remember that the willingness of community residents to work with and/ or live near offenders, historically, has been accompanied by the “not in my backyard” phenomenon. Successful social reintegration According to Visher and Travis and Reed, the ex- periences of formerly incarcerated individuals, when transitioning back to their families and communities, are fundamentally a dynamic social process and, for many, traumatic. Although incarceration may be seen as a final response to controlling crime, the length of an

incarceration stay is limited and, for most, not final. In fact, approximately 95 percent of the incarcerated popula- tion will eventually be released. Many have experienced trauma associated with having to adapt to the social and environmental factors of the prison system. Therefore, their traumatic experience and possibly abnormal behavior will directly impact their successful transition from prison to the community, according to a 2015 study by Reed. As a result, family, friends and communities are likely to be affected by the transitioning process of formerly incarcerated community members returning to the com- munity. Current research on prisoner re-entry focuses primarily on recidivism factors that are not connected to the potential influence of meaningful contact between offenders and neighbors, and the effect this contact may have on reintegration and adjustment. Without successful social reintegration and ad- justment, the formerly incarcerated will recidivate. Hardcastle, Bartholomew and Graffam suggested that the most significant aspect of the reintegration process is the ability to rely on community support. Previous literature has indicated that an absence of community support has the potential to affect the stability of both the offender

26 — May/June 2019 Corrections Today