If you or someone you love is coming home, prison reentry can feel like starting over. In short, it is the work of returning to community life safely, and it goes best when planning begins before release and continues afterward.
| Key fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Share of today’s prison population who will be released | Over 95% |
| People released from incarceration each year | Between 700,000 and 800,000 people |
| Released prisoners rearrested within five years | Nearly three-quarters |
| State prisoner rearrest rate within three years of release | Around 68 percent |
| Unemployment rate of formerly incarcerated people | Over 27 percent |
| Ex-offenders under community-based supervision | Almost 5 million |
These figures come from a Congressional Research Service report dated March 31, 2016 and a COPS Office Dispatch from April 2022. They can change as new studies appear, so check the source before you rely on them.
What prison reentry means
The Congressional Research Service describes offender reentry as all the activities and programming conducted to prepare prisoners to return safely to the community and to live as law-abiding citizens. That covers far more than the day someone walks out of a gate. It includes preparation inside, support right after release, and help that lasts as a person settles in, as laid out in the CRS report of March 31, 2016.
It also helps to know where someone is coming from. Jails mostly hold people for a matter of weeks, while prisons typically house people sentenced to a term of one year or longer, according to the same CRS report. A short jail stay and a long prison term create very different needs after release.
The COPS Office quotes one analyst on this point: “People exiting prison from long-term confinement need stronger support around them.” That is worth remembering if you or a family member has been away for many years, as noted in the COPS Office Dispatch.
The numbers behind release and supervision
Almost everyone who enters prison eventually comes home. The CRS report of March 2016 states that over 95% of the prison population will be released at some point in the future.
Here is how large that flow is, using the two sources in this guide:
- Between 1990 and 2014, an average of 594,600 inmates were released each year from state and federal prisons (CRS, March 2016).
- The COPS Office’s April 2022 Dispatch puts the yearly total at between 700,000 and 800,000 people released from incarceration into the community (COPS Office).
- Almost 5 million ex-offenders were under some form of community-based supervision, per the CRS report.
- The incarcerated population peaked at nearly 2.4 million in 2008, and as of 2014 it was still over 2 million people in prisons and jails.
Supervision is a big part of the picture, and it comes in more than one form. A separate guide on parole vs probation explains how the two differ and why the rules you follow matter so much.
Incarceration also carries a public price. The CRS’s January 2015 report, drawing on Bureau of Justice Statistics data, put the average cost of a state prison place at approximately $28,000 per year in 2010 (CRS, January 2015).
What does the recidivism data really say?
The COPS Office quotes the National Institute of Justice, which says recidivism refers to a person’s relapse into criminal behavior, often after sanctions or intervention for a previous crime. It can mean a return to incarceration for violating supervised release, parole or probation, as well as new arrests and new convictions, per the COPS Office Dispatch.
Those different meanings explain why the numbers vary so much. The CRS report even includes a figure titled “Measured Recidivism Based on Different Definitions of Recidivism,” which shows that the answer depends on what you count (CRS, March 2016).
For people released from state prisons in 2005, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that within five years nearly three-quarters came back into contact with the criminal justice system. More than half returned to prison, either after a conviction for a new crime or for violating release conditions, according to the CRS report. The same report estimates about 6 in 10 released prisoners will be reconvicted.
The COPS Office Dispatch cites a different cut of the data: an average of around 68 percent of state prisoners rearrested within the first three years after release. That rises to 79 percent and 83 percent at five and nine years (COPS Office). For federal offenders released in 2010, nearly one-half (49.3 percent) were rearrested over an eight-year follow-up period.
These are population averages, not predictions for any one person. The CRS notes that, compared with the average American, ex-offenders are less educated, less likely to be gainfully employed, and more likely to have a history of mental illness or substance abuse, all of which are risk factors. The COPS Office adds that a major contributor to recidivism is a lack of resources, or a lack of connection to them, that help people rejoin the community.
What helps: the three phases of reentry programs
The CRS says reentry programs are typically divided into three phases, and the best-designed ones span all of them (CRS, March 2016):
- Programs that prepare people to reenter society while they are still in prison.
- Programs that connect people with services immediately after release.
- Programs that provide long-term support and supervision as people settle into communities permanently.
The same report points to an emerging “what works” literature. It suggests that programs focused on work training and placement, drug and mental health treatment, and housing assistance have proven effective, although the CRS also flags a relative lack of highly rigorous research on some programs. If you want to see what this looks like in practice, the guide to reentry programs for felons walks through the types of help to look for.
The COPS Office Dispatch describes a few programs as neutral examples of the approach:
- In Iowa, Hawkeye Community College developed the Pathways to Education and Employment for Reentry (PEER) program, which offers resource referrals, educational and career counseling, and hands-on job training.
- In San Francisco, The Last Mile teaches software development during incarceration and after release. When it started in 2010, it was the first technology training program of its kind.
- In Washington, D.C., the EZ Street Music Industry Academy connects with reentrants through music, visual and performance arts, and media production.
Federal policy plays a role too. The Second Chance Act was enacted on April 9, 2008, according to the CRS January 2015 report. As of the CRS March 2016 report, Congress had continued to fund its grant programs even though the authorization of appropriations expired in FY2010 (CRS).
The Act also designates April as National Second Chance Month, as the April 2022 COPS Office Dispatch explains. Reentry policy is one part of the wider debate on criminal justice reform.
Housing, work, health and ID: the basics of the first weeks
Most of the practical problems after release trace back to a handful of basics. Getting these in place early makes everything else easier.
Identification comes first, because many other steps depend on it. The guide on how to get an id after prison covers the documents people usually need and how to approach the process.
Housing is the next pressure point. Some people spend their first stretch in a supervised residence, and the explainer on what is a halfway house describes how those placements work. For longer-term options, the hub on affordable housing is the place to begin, and the CRS notes housing assistance is among the approaches that have proven effective.
Work matters because income pays for nearly everything else. The COPS Office says unemployment is a significant barrier for many reentrants, since employment is essential to securing food, shelter and clothing, and it cites a rate of over 27 percent for formerly incarcerated people (COPS Office). The guide to jobs for felons looks at where to start a search.
Health coverage is easy to overlook until a prescription runs out. Treatment for drug and mental health needs is one of the areas the CRS links to better outcomes, and the guide on health insurance after release from prison explains how to look into coverage.
Where do you start if release is close?
You do not need to solve everything at once. A simple order of operations keeps the first weeks manageable:
- Ask your case manager or counselor what planning services are available before release, since the best programs begin during incarceration.
- Gather identity documents and write down every contact you may need.
- Confirm where you will stay on the first night and for the following weeks.
- Learn exactly what your supervision conditions require, if you will be supervised, and keep every appointment.
- Line up health coverage and any medication or treatment you rely on.
- Begin a work search and ask about training that fits your goals.
A printable-style walk through all of this is in the reentry checklist after release from prison. Use it to track what is done and what is still open.
Later on, it may be worth reading how to expunge a criminal record to see whether clearing a record is an option where you live. Rules vary by place, so check with a legal aid organization or an attorney for your situation.
This site is an independent, educational resource. It is not affiliated with any agency, does not provide legal advice, and does not take enquiries or sell services.
Frequently asked questions
What is prison reentry in simple terms?
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It is everything done to help someone return safely to the community after prison. The CRS describes it as activities and programming that prepare prisoners to live as law-abiding citizens, spanning preparation inside, help right after release and long-term support (CRS, March 2016).
How many people are released from prison each year?
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Each year, between 700,000 and 800,000 people are released from incarceration into the community, according to the COPS Office Dispatch of April 2022. Figures differ by source and by which years and facilities are counted.
Do most people return to prison?
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Not necessarily, but the risk is real. For people released in 2005, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that within five years more than half returned to prison after a new conviction or a violation of release conditions (CRS, March 2016). Rates differ by how recidivism is defined.
Which kinds of help work best?
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The CRS says an emerging “what works” literature points to work training and placement, drug and mental health treatment, and housing assistance. It adds that the best programs begin during incarceration and continue through release and reintegration (CRS, March 2016).
Can this site help me with my own case?
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No. It is an independent educational guide, so it cannot give legal advice, take enquiries or offer personal help. For your own situation, speak with your case manager, a legal aid group or a qualified attorney.
