Frequently Asked Questions

Each of the NRRC's Advisory Committees is developing a series of FAQs that address the key issues that practitioners in the field are facing. FAQs on the following aspects of reentry are available; additional FAQs will be published in the upcoming months. Click on the links below to jump to the list of questions for each FAQ.

Communities & Families
Employment & Education
Health, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorders
Housing
Juvenile Justice
Tribal Reentry
Victims

Communities & Families

Show More Questions What role do families and communities play in helping people successfully return from correctional facilities, and how can reentry stakeholders engage them? How can corrections-based programs help keep families connected? How can correctional officials structure visitation opportunities to promote positive and safe contact between people in correctional facilities and their families? How can reentry stakeholders help facilitate family reunification? How do family reunification and contact strategies differ when there are issues of domestic violence?

How can reentry stakeholders help people in correctional facilities manage arrearages, including child support, during the reentry process? How can reentry stakeholders address child custody issues during the reentry process? How can community corrections officials work with families to increase the likelihood that the returning individual succeeds after his/her release? How can community-based reentry stakeholders work with families to help them prepare for their family member’s release from incarceration? How can faith communities help people returning to their community after incarceration? What is the role of a mentor in reentry? How do mentoring programs recruit, train, match, and retain mentors?

Employment & Education

Show More Questions What is the typical educational profile of previously incarcerated adults? What is the typical educational profile of previously incarcerated youth? What educational and vocational training opportunities are available to people in prison? What are the benefits of educational development and attainment for a previously incarcerated adult? What types of jobs are barred to people with criminal records?

What role do background checks play in the hiring process? How can a job-seeker mitigate the effect of having a criminal record? What employment protections do individuals with criminal records have? How should job-seekers respond to questions regarding past convictions? What liability concerns do employers face if they hire people with criminal records and what can they do to protect themselves? What barriers exist for youth returning to school from the juvenile justice system? What are common needs among previously incarcerated job-seekers? What are One-Stop Career Centers and how can they help foster successful reentry? What role can community colleges play in providing job training and education to formerly incarcerated persons? What restrictions exist for people with criminal records in obtaining college loans? Why should child support issues be addressed as part of job-readiness preparation? What other stakeholders can play a role in addressing the education and employment needs of people with criminal records? What are some key tools for screening and assessing skills and abilities among formerly incarcerated job-seekers? What are some essential ingredients that foster job readiness among formerly incarcerated job-seekers? What should reentry planners keep in mind when it comes to recruiting (and sustaining partnerships with) employers to hire formerly incarcerated individuals? What benefits are available to employers who hire formerly incarcerated individuals? What are the most effective ways to ensure formerly incarcerated employees remain employed? What are the hard and soft skills that are most useful for formerly incarcerated job-seekers? What are the most effective ways to help formerly incarcerated employees move up a career ladder? What are the key skills needed by front-line staff for an employment program serving formerly incarcerated clients? Is self-employment or entrepreneurship a viable option for formerly incarcerated individuals?

Health, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorders

Show More Questions What health risks do people returning from prison or jail face? What is the prevalence of mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders among incarcerated populations? Why are healthcare services so critical for successful reentry? Are some communities affected by the health conditions of returning individuals more than others? Is focusing on addiction treatment for incarcerated individuals a fiscally responsible policy?

Why is it important to screen and assess for mental health and substance use disorders at jail and prison intake and at release? What is the difference between screening and assessment? How can correctional facilities improve healthy transitions to the community? How can continuity of care policies at release improve outcomes for people with substance use disorders and/or mental illnesses? What is health literacy education and why should corrections facilities and their healthcare partners promote it? What health issues do women tend to face when incarcerated and on their return to the community? How can pre-release planning help elderly individuals address their healthcare needs? How can reentry initiatives address the behavioral healthcare needs of individuals who are homeless or in transitional housing upon release? Where should reentry planners direct people reentering communities who are uninsured or are not currently Medicaid-eligible for health services? What is the role of drug testing in supervising individuals on probation or parole with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders? What should substance abuse treatment for individuals under criminal justice supervision address? How can community corrections and mental health agencies collaborate to improve outcomes for people under community supervision with mental illnesses? Why should people reentering the community who need health care receive more routine assessment and treatment for past traumas? What role do peer support services play in recovery from substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and co-occurring disorders? How can families assist in promoting positive health outcomes? Are criminal justice, treatment, and service providers prohibited from sharing information because of federal and state privacy laws? What can agencies do to facilitate information sharing? Why is it so important to help individuals apply for public benefits prior to release from prison and jail whenever possible? What federal benefits are available to people after incarceration? When people are incarcerated, what happens to their federal benefits? When can a person (re)apply for federal benefits? Does a substance use disorder prohibit access to SSI or SSDI benefits? With healthcare reform, will more individuals returning from prisons and jails be eligible for Medicaid?

Housing

Show More Questions Can facilitating housing for individuals returning from prison and jail make communities safer and those individuals more successful? How big a problem is homelessness among returning individuals? Why should taxpayers and policymakers invest in housing for people who have been incarcerated? What organizations or public agencies should be involved as potential partners in planning for reentry housing in a state or community? What housing options might be available in our community?

What is supportive housing and whom does it serve? Even after identifying available housing options, we still have some people in our jail who were homeless when they were arrested and are likely to be homeless again when they leave. What can be done to stop this revolving door? Are there additional housing resources and options available for veterans? Can people who have been incarcerated be successful tenants and good neighbors? How can people with criminal backgrounds, and little or no transitional housing experience, get housing if landlords conduct criminal background checks? Can people with criminal records get public housing and Section 8 housing? How are PHAs helping individuals returning from incarceration whose families are currently receiving Public Housing or Section 8 housing assistance?

Juvenile Justice

Show More Questions How is the juvenile justice system organized, and what does the organization of the system mean for juvenile reentry? From what types of facilities do juvenile justice-involved youth return? What are the characteristics of youth held in out-of-home placement facilities? How long do youth remain in out-of-home placement facilities? What behavioral health conditions do youth in the juvenile justice system face?

What are the educational characteristics of committed youth? What obstacles may arise to reconnecting youth to school after an out-of-home placement? How have jurisdictions successfully connected young people back to school after their out-of-home placement? How can the reentry process ensure that youth who are not enrolling in school after release, or are close to the completion of their education, are well-equipped to enter the job market? Why is it important to involve a youth's family in reentry planning, and how can reentry programs do it? What are the elements of effective youth mentoring programs? How should the child welfare and foster care systems be involved in reentry? Why should interventions be individualized and culturally competent? How do you ensure that your assessment and classification processes contribute to successful juvenile reentry? What responses are appropriate for youth who are at low risk of reoffending but have a high need for services and supports? How do you design programming that taps into a youth's strengths? Why are cognitive-behavioral interventions important? Why are incentives and graduated sanctions important? What role do judges play in juvenile reentry?

Tribal Reentry

Show More Questions Who is considered an American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) person? Does incarceration affect an individual's right to live in Indian Country? Why do tribes need reentry programs? Who should be involved in reentry planning for AI/AN people? How can reentry planning address issues that are unique to AI/AN people?

What can tribal leaders do to prepare for an individual's return to the community? What role does a tribe's legislative body (such as the tribal council) have in reentry? Why should tribes enter intergovernmental agreements with non-tribal governmental authorities? Do tribes have their own justice systems? What role does the federal government play in criminal justice matters that occur in Indian Country, and how does this affect reentry? What is PL 280, and how does it affect how a jurisdiction plans for reentry? Do tribes operate their own correctional facilities? How is tribal court jurisdiction determined in Indian Country? Do tribes have their own law enforcement agencies? We're from a tribe interested in planning a reentry initiative. Where do we start?

Victims

Show More Questions What does the term "victim" mean? Why is it important for reentry efforts to engage victims? What types of services can victims receive? Who provides victim services? How do crime victims find out about services?

How can probation and parole agencies address victims' concerns? What is a victim impact statement and what should it include? Why would victims choose not to participate in the reentry process? What rights do victims have? What can be done when victims' rights aren't enforced? What does an efficient and effective victim notification process look like? How can victim notification be improved?

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