Corrections_Today_January_February_2024_Vol.86_No.1

■ REENTRY

offender is released; these social factors can include relationships with family, neighborhood influences, peer factors and employment. Reentry programs have objec tives such as reducing the number of substance abusers and increasing the number of people in long term recov ery. Other objectives include increasing the number of offenders who have earned a GED or became successfully employed. Education and employment are needs for the population who will be re-entering back into our society (Listwan, Cullen, Latessa, 2006). Research shows 68% of all offenders released from a state prison are rearrested within three years, while 43% are rearrested within the first six months after they are released. Newly re-entering prisoners account for nearly 20% of total arrests (Bush way, 2006). Once prisoners are released, they face legal discrimi nation within society. Felons lose the right to vote, the ability to enlist in the military, the right to bear arms, the ability to serve on a jury and discrimination in employ ment and housing, education and some public benefits (Skinner-Osei & Stepteau-Watson, 2018). These barri ers can be overcome with the use of reentry programs. A life skills project was conducted in Clearwater, Florida that centered around two issues. The first was recidivism which used two test measures; the re-arrest rate and the time to that arrest were calculated. Another series of tests were used to measure successful re-adjustment to the offense such as employment and establishing credit. This study found 25% of program graduates stayed out of the facility longer (Jalazo, 2005). The lack of incorporating the digital age into the reentry process, is a major barrier to successful reintegra tion for offenders. The chances of obtaining employment at a sustainable living wage for individuals who do not have digital skills is extremely low; when the person has a criminal record, the chances are even lower. Digital skills and the use of digital media are often not present from rehabilitation theories, and reentry and reintegration practices. A key component of reentry is the focus on pro grams that help the successful return of inmates to society (Reisdorf, & Rikard, 2018). The risk needs responsivity model provides a general framework for effective interventions for offender popu lations. This principle states an effective correctional program must match the level of intervention an offender receives to that offender’s risk level; an example is an

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individual with a higher risk of recidivism would benefit from high levels of contact and a more intensive inter vention (Holliday, Heilbrun & Fretz, 2012). Released prisoners enter the labor market with several handicaps, such as a serious criminal record, a lack of work expe rience and the lack of education. Recent studies have found subsidized jobs by themselves do not translate into employment in unsubsidized jobs for ex-offenders (Cook et al, 2015). Securing legitimate employment can pro vide a buffer to crime and delinquency (Listwan, Cullen, Latessa, 2006). Readiness to change is a construct derived from transtheoretical middle of behavior change; this illus trates stages through which an individual will pass as they change behaviors (Killian et al., 2018). The relationship between readiness to change one’s behavior and trauma history remain unclear. Studies find women with more severe trauma may take steps to address substance abuse behaviors more so than women with less trauma (Killian

46 — January/February 2024 Corrections Today