2007 University of Michigan Poverty Research Grants
Funded research
David Harding, Population Studies Center, University of Michigan
Michigan Prisoner Reentry Pilot Study
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the number of individuals incarcerated in prisons and jails in the United States has risen dramatically, and incarceration is disproportionately experienced by young, low skill, African-American men. Eventually, most of these prisoners return home to their families and communities and must reintegrate themselves back into society. This project consists of two linked pilot studies of prisoner reentry. The first component will use administrative data from the Michigan Department of Corrections to examine the role that community context plays in reentry outcomes. It would attempt to answer the question, “Are ex-offenders who are released to more disadvantaged neighborhoods (those with greater poverty, unemployment, crime, etc.) more likely to recidivate as a result of community context?” To do so, we will assemble a database from geocoded MDOC administrative records and from the US Census. The second component will involve in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 24 inmates from Wayne and Washtenaw Counties. Subjects will be interviewed both in prison prior to release and after release. The main goal of this component is to lay the groundwork for a larger, longitudinal study of ex-offenders, reentry, and recidivism by generating hypotheses, testing interview questions, and assessing the feasibility of tracking subjects during reentry.
