This report of the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center Reentry Roundtable explores the transition from prison to work and discusses what we know about the employment-related needs of prisoners, the current opportunities and restrictions on work in prisons, the concerns of potential employers, and the essential elements of the handful of programs that have shown promising post-release employment outcomes. The challenge remains to: maximize the opportunities for learning, experience, and skill-building that are present during incarceration; and create a seamless transition to work beyond the prison walls.

Authored by Harry J. Holzer, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University; Steven Raphael, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley; and Michael A. Stoll, Department of Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles. This report, as part of the Working Paper Series of the National Poverty Center (NPC), provides a nuanced portrait of how criminal histories affect employer hiring decisions. Employer sentiments about ex-offenders, hiring behavior of ex-offenders, and methods used to screen the criminal histories of job applicants are all considered.

Data has shown that prisoners are less likely to return to crime if they are able to secure employment after release. However, many returning ex-offenders experience barriers to employment. This study looks at the experience and employment data of 400 Illinois prisoners as they reenter society.

This brief by the Urban Institute analyzes data from ex-offenders, community residents, and reentry policymakers to summarize the community's role in the reintegration process for released prisoners. The brief concludes with proposed ideas to the challenges facing Chicago, which is experiencing high rates of prisoner reentry.

From the Urban Institute, this article provides an overview of key topics surrounding of prisoner reentry and outlines past research documenting the pathways of prisoner reintegration. Reviewing the Urban Institute's work on this topic, this portfolio includes information from program evaluations, reentry roundtables, and policy reports.

With three quarters of a million parents in prison, this affects their children by disrupting parent-child relationships, altering the networks of familial support, and placing new burdens on governmental services such as schools, foster care, adoption agencies, and youth-serving organizations. This article reviews the cost to society from parental incarceration through the criminal justice system.

This article, through the Family Strengthening Policy Center, reviews a new model to help support families raising children in low-income environments. Children have better outcomes when cared for by supportive families in supportive communitives. This article outlines ways in which connections can be increased in low-income communities for children with incarcerated parents.

This report, from the Urban Institute, describes incarceration and prisoner reentry trends in Philadelphia between 1996 and 2003. By reviewing characteristics of individuals returning to the community, this study provides insight on challenges regarding prisoner reentry in Philadelphia.

600,000 people on average are released from prison every year, and face multiple barriers as they reenter society. This paper outlines research on employment-focused prisoner reentry programs and provides information on current evaluations on similar programs.

It is estimated that nearly two million children have an incarcerated parent. This article reviews the challenges that these children face and potential psychological and behavioral implications. Due to the disruption in the child's life, mentoring can be a critical factor to encourage positive outcomes, and the article concludes with reviewing relevant mentoring programs.