Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration
- Daniel P. Mears - Florida State University, USA
- Joshua C. Cochran - University of Cincinnati, USA, University of South Florida, USA
"Mass imprisonment and mass prisoner reentry are two faces of the same coin. In a comprehensive and penetrating analysis, Daniel Mears and Joshua Cochran unravel the causes of this pressing problem, detail the challenges confronting released prisoners, and provide an evidence-based blueprint for successfully reintegrating offenders into the community. Scholarly yet accessible, this volume is essential reading—whether by academics or students—for anyone wishing to understand the chief policy issue facing American corrections."
Francis T. Cullen
Distinguished Research Professor, University of Cincinnati
Prisoner Reentry is an engaging and comprehensive examination of prisoner reentry and how to improve public safety, well-being, and justice in the “era of mass incarceration.” Renowned authors Daniel P. Mears and Joshua C. Cochran investigate historical trends in incarceration and punishment policy, the salience of in-prison and post-prison contexts and experiences for reentry, and the importance of understanding group differences in offending, punishment, and social context. Using extensive reliance on both theory and empirical research, the authors identify how reentry reflects criminal justice policy in America and, at the same time, has profound implications for crime prevention and justice. Readers will develop a diverse foundation for current policies, identify the implications of reentry for families, community, and society at large, and gain a conceptual and empirical toolkit for analyzing and improving the lives of those released from prison.
"Mass imprisonment and mass prisoner reentry are two faces of the same coin. In a comprehensive and penetrating analysis, Daniel Mears and Joshua Cochran unravel the causes of this pressing problem, detail the challenges confronting released prisoners, and provide an evidence-based blueprint for successfully reintegrating offenders into the community. Scholarly yet accessible, this volume is essential reading—whether by academics or students—for anyone wishing to understand the chief policy issue facing American corrections."
"Mears and Cochran have produced a terrific book that is both comprehensive and accessible. By placing reentry in the particular American context of mass incarceration, they have made an important contribution to the contemporary debate about penal policy. If you only want to read one book about today’s American penal system and its challenges for reentry, read this one."
"In Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration, Mears and Cochran confront the absurdity and human toll of America’s mass incarceration project and serve up provocative questions, serious scholarship, and clear-minded proposals for a new approach to reintegrating offenders into society. If we take seriously prisoner reentry, and we should, Mears and Cochran have given us the field manual."
“Excellent book. It is timely, current, cogent and the authors make compelling arguments. The authors do a fine job of putting into perspective the challenges of re-entry and debunking myths related to reintegration. I will highly recommend the book.”
“I like its comprehensive nature. Many of the observations offered bode well with the example and stories that I draw upon in class – many from my own experience.”
“My overall assessment of the text is that it is ‘outstanding’. The information is well organized, the content is exceptional and it is appropriate for undergraduate students.”
This is very good understanding on mass incarceration and reentry.
This book should be used for supplementary reading in the penology modules that the course runs in second and third year. I will be recommending this to the module leader.