This interview, which is part of the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Justice Program’s (OJP’s) “Justice Today” podcast series, focuses on the research being promoted by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that is related to achieving successful reentries into communities after incarceration.
The persons interviewed on this issue by NIJ Journal Editor Beth Pearsall are the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) Senior Science Advisor Angela Moore, NIJ Senior Social Science Analyst Marie Garcia, and NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin. The participants in the interview discuss the goals and features of NIJ research and programming related to ways in which reentry programming can facilitate the constructive reentry of previously incarcerated persons into community life. They note that reentry programming must address the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that may pose risks for future criminal behavior. This requires finding ways to facilitate eliminating crime-related thinking, minimizing associations with antisocial peers, addressing mental health challenges, substance abuse treatment, and developing skills needed to perform gainful employment. This is in addition to helping with issues of housing and family interactions and responsibilities. The interview includes a discussion of the various programs and tools that NIJ has developed to meet various reentry needs that can facilitate a process that fosters desistance from crime.