“Success” during reentry is most commonly understood to mean reentering the community without recidivism, which refers to a return to criminal activity (figure 8.4). “Return to criminal activity,” however, can mean incurring an arrest, a probation violation, or a new term of incarceration. When discussing recidivism, be sure to understand how that term is being used in a particular context, as re-arrest rates can look different from re-conviction rates.

The stark numbers of recidivism may be available to track, but they do not tell the whole story of reentry “success.” Several factors can impact rates of reoffense. For example, a person’s age strongly predicts their likelihood of committing a crime, no matter what support they receive (or do not receive) upon reentering the community. Additionally, not all offenses are equal; some reoffending may involve very minor misconduct, while other reoffending involves violent acts that injure victims. Both are technically recidivism, but one might suggest success over the other.

Additionally, “success” can mean more than avoiding reoffense. People reentering the community face many barriers to accessing treatment, services, health care, housing, employment, and transportation (figure 8.5). Thus, effectively addressing and overcoming these barriers is certainly a form of success. An improved personal sense of well-being, access to stable housing, and connection to social supports are all important positive outcomes that should be noted, and they may or may not coincide with a reduction in recidivism in a particular situation. Other outcomes that may be measures of success in reentry include reduced substance use, management of mental illness symptoms, and sustained treatment engagement.

Licenses and Attributions for Successful Reentry

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“Successful Reentry” is adapted from Best Practices for Successful Reentry From Criminal Justice Settings for People Living With Mental Health Conditions and/or Substance Use Disorders by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is in the Public Domain. Modifications, by Anne Nichol, licensed under CC BY 4.0, include condensing and revising the content.

Figure 8.4. Photo by Najib Kalil is licensed under the Unsplash License.

Figure 8.5. Photo by whoislimos is licensed under the Unsplash License.