After prison : navigating adulthood in the shadow of the justice system /

Incarceration disconnects people from society regardless of age. For younger, formerly incarcerated persons facing reentry, life-course transitions have been interrupted. Will they nevertheless be able to thrive? Earlier, the Michigan Study of Life after Prison examined older adults. Now, the life trajectory of 1,300 young males in Michigan, released in 2003, are parsed over the following years. Harding (Univ. of California, Berkeley) and Harris (Public Policy Institute of California), along with four contributing sociologists, provide discerning insights into this little-studied category of younger offenders. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses, the authors explore a wide range of circumstances and behaviors, including education during and after confinement, employment patterns, family and community relationships, health and risk taking, links to the community justice system, and mental health. The prospects for reentered males are dismal. Almost all are rearrested. Still, the authors identify tranches with varying degrees of success and failure over time. What has been learned? Racial disparities abound, though the authors offer numerous ways to improve outcomes: incentives to pursue education while incarcerated and after, community substance abuse treatment, reasonably paid jobs, a stable place to live, and a supportive parole system. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --Robert D. McCrie, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY