[Download] "Putting Them Away and Helping Them out: The Prosecutor's Role in Offender Reentry." by Journal of the National District Attorneys Association Prosecutor # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Putting Them Away and Helping Them out: The Prosecutor's Role in Offender Reentry.
- Author : Journal of the National District Attorneys Association Prosecutor
- Release Date : January 01, 2007
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 267 KB
Description
ACCORDING TO the U.S. Department of Justice, since 1980, there has been a significant increase in the nation's prison and jail populations (Travis, 2000). In 2005, there were more than 2.1 million individuals held in local jails and state and federal prisons across the country (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005). To put this into perspective, the number of people incarcerated in the U.S. is greater than the total population of residents living in the entire state of New Mexico. The majority of individuals in custody will most likely be released back into communities across the nation. In fact, 93 percent of all incarcerated individuals will eventually return to their communities, and most prison systems are ill suited to facilitate a smooth transition back to the community (Austin, 2001; Petersilia, 2005; Visher & Travis, 2003). The reality is that a large percentage of newly released individuals will return to prison, either by committing new crimes or by violating conditions of their release (Austin, 2001; McGarrell, Hippie, & Banks 2003; Seiter & Kadela, 2003). Recidivism among this population has created a revolving door in the criminal justice system. As a result, there has been renewed focus by federal, state and local agencies on offender preparation and reintegration into the community (Austin, 2001; Petersilia, 2004; Pettus & Severson, 2006; Seiter & Kadela, 2003). Unfortunately, many communities lack the resources to handle the needs of newly released offenders and thus are ill equipped to respond (Pettus & Severson, 2006). To help address this problem, between 2001 and 2004, the federal government allocated more than $100 million to create and support new reentry programs in every state (Petersilia, 2004). Local and state agencies throughout the country are now playing a role in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs and services for newly released offenders. Unfortunately, when discussing offender reintegration in a community, the prosecutor's perspective is often overlooked. Some question why prosecutors would even want to be involved in reentry.