Corrections_Today_November_December_2021_Vol.83_No.6

Introduction T oday is a wonderful day. John has just been released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery. Although John has not made the best decisions in his past, he has served his time and is ready to return home and be a productive citizen ... he is finally free. However, John finds out through the next six months reintegrating successfully is very challenging. In addition to having trouble finding a good paying job, he is also struggling to find housing, obtain life insurance and even registering to vote. All of this has stemmed from his felony charge, which has severely limited him from opportunities to support himself and his family. In his frustration, a central question runs through his mind: how does society expect him to become a productive citizen when there are so many barriers being placed in front of him? In his mind, John feels that he is still being punished for his crime and realizes although he is officially free, he is still in many ways incarcerated. It is no secret a criminal conviction can bring several sanctions and disqualifications that can form additional barriers on individuals reentering society and leading productive lives long after they have served their time. This can not only include denial of employment, but also benefits such as education, housing, public benefits, property rights and many others (NICCC, 2021). Failing to employ restored citizens also has economic implica- tions. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in any given year nearly two million people remain out of the workforce due to their criminal back- ground, which comes at an annual cost of $80 billion in gross domestic product (Barber & Bucknor, 2016). With so many obstacles facing individuals who are trying to successfully reintegrate back into society, questions remain as to whether these existing barriers maintain prison structures of their own. With cities across the United States currently seeing increases in violent crimes particularly gun violence in the past year, the Biden Administration recently announced a five-point proposal to address this issue, which includes assisting formerly incarcerated individuals to successfully reen- ter their communities (Wise, 2021). While this is a step in the right direction, often it is too late for individuals who are in the same situation as John.

Reentry ideally should start the day someone enters prison.

As we investigate the future of corrections and the criminal justice system as a whole, a few things must be considered. One, as mentioned above regarding the economic impact , we can no longer afford to incarcer- ate everyone as it has proven to be too costly(Barber & Bucknor, 2016). Two, how can society expect restored citizens to be successful with so many barriers placed in front of them? Finally, 95% of individuals serving time in prison as punishment for their crimes eventually return to the community (James, 2015). Given these consid- erations, what can be done for those who are currently incarcerated? Reentry ideally should start the day some- one enters prison. For this to happen, the roles of individuals employed in correctional institutions, community corrections, practitioners and probation and parole will have to evolve from a punitive to rehabilitative approach. This is not an easy undertaking, but those who are committed to the advancement of the corrections field must play an active role. The purpose of this article is to discuss solutions on reentry and workforce initiatives that can be done while people are incarcerated. This article will also briefly discuss reentry barriers upon release from prison, current incentives that can be promoted to increase hiring among the justice involved and an overview of some correctional facilities that are taking proactive steps to addressing these issues. If people who are to be released want to have any chance of being successful, then reentry services must begin while one is incarcerated. The cost of incarceration and cost of employment The cost of incarceration comes at not only a price to taxpayers, but also a price to our economy. As an ex- ample, in a recent study of a report that examined people released in 2016 and whether they returned to prison for

Photo opposite page: istock/Jorm Sangsorn

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