Where will I sleep tomorrow? Housing, homelessness, and the returning prisoner

This year, over 630,000 prisoners will be released from state and federal prisons across the country--more than four times as many as were released in 1980. In this article, we examine the scope of the prisoner reentry issue--what is known about the intersection of housing, homelessness, and reentry...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Housing policy debate 2006-01, Vol.17 (3), p.389-418
Main Authors: Roman, Caterina Gouvis, Travis, Jeremy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Homeless persons
Housing
Prisoners, Discharged
Rehabilitation
Supply and demand
United States
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Summary:This year, over 630,000 prisoners will be released from state and federal prisons across the country--more than four times as many as were released in 1980. In this article, we examine the scope of the prisoner reentry issue--what is known about the intersection of housing, homelessness, and reentry and about the barriers returning prisoners face in securing safe and affordable housing. Although the housing challenges are formidable, progress is being made on numerous fronts. We seek to frame the dynamics of the reentry housing discussion by highlighting the promising strategies that are emerging. These strategies, taken to scale, could help create a very different national policy on prisoner reentry. Ultimately, effective reentry strategies have the potential not only to reduce re-arrest and increase public safety, but also to reduce homelessness.
ISSN:1051-1482