A Look At Jail-based Reentry Programs

Over the years correctional-based reentry programs have gained the attention of academics and government officials alike. Academic research has focused primarily on programs implemented in prisons and juvenile facilities. Reentry programs operating out of jails have been vastly under represented amongst these studies. This research study works towards closing this gap by examining jail-based reentry programs by observing the influences of age, race, gender, level of offence (misdemeanor/felony), and program completion on recidivism. Findings were measured for both those who participated but did not complete the programs and those who successfully completed the programs. Data from three jail-based reentry programs in Florida were first analyzed using a Chi-square test and then through binary logistic regression. Determining the strength of the relationships between the independent variables facilitated contextualization of the binary logistic regression results. The results of this research are discussed, and additional directions for future jail-based reentry research are presented