Prisoner re-entry and social capital / Angela Hattery and Earl Smith

"Hattery and Smith's book On prisoner reentry and social capital is of society-wide interest to criminologists, policymakers, prisoners and their families, community workers, and just ordinary folk who want a better under standing of the problem of revolving-door criminality. The authors discuss the practical matters that can serve as barriers to, as well as avenues for, change to a healthy and socially productive life for former convicts and their communities. With social capital--employment, housing, support networks, supervision, drug and sexual offense rehab--we can greatly reduce the expense and tragedy of recurring crime, Hattery and Smith offer a unique examination through a series of revealing interviews with ex-prisoners shored up by inarguable data analysis and a historical background of failed policies of a wasteful but eminently fixable social problem "--Bonnie Berry Social Problem Research group. Prisoner Reentry and Social Capital takes as its starting point interviews with twenty-five men and women during the summer of 2008 about their experiences with reentering the "free world" after a period of incar ceration. By analyzing the experiences of these men and women, Angela Hattery and Earl Smith take an in-depth look at the factors that hamper successful reentry and illustrate some successes and failures, Tho book examines individual characteristics that inhibit successful reentry such as addiction and sex offender status, as well as the unique challenges faced by women. Hattery and Smith also focus on the role that social capital plays as one of the most important factors shaping the reentry experience. These interviews and analyses provide a deeper and more precise understanding of the biases faced by reentry felons in the labor market and works to address the key barriers to reentry in hopes of aiding in their elimination --Book Jacket.