Second chances through successful reentry

There are approximately seven million Americans living under correctional supervision and even more who have criminal records. Effective reentry policies yield far-reaching benefits for the formerly incarcerated, their communities, and society at large. Yet often, Americans with criminal records receive insufficient support when reentering their communities. This can result in difficulties with securing employment, housing, and access to services, preventing successful reintegration.

On October 21, The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution hosted a forum exploring policy options aimed at creating more opportunities for people with criminal records and facilitating successful reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals. The forum will begin with a fireside chat between Sally Q. Yates, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Ari Melber, Chief Legal Correspondent for MSNBC. Two roundtable discussions will follow the fireside chat, featuring panelists including: Tom Dart, Sheriff, Cook County, Illinois; Mark Holden, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Koch Industries; Sister Donna Markham, President and CEO, Catholic Charities USA; Fred Patrick, Director of Sentencing and Corrections, Vera Institute of Justice; Nancy La Vigne, Director, Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute; and Stanley Richards, Senior Vice President, Fortune Society.

The forum’s discussion focused on three new Hamilton Project policy proposals: the first proposal by Professors Angela Hawken and Mark Kleiman (both of New York University) recommends a series of reforms to support the successful reintegration of former prisoners into society; the second proposal by Professor Jennifer L. Doleac (University of Virginia) addresses labor market hurdles faced by low-skilled workers and those with criminal histories; and the third proposal by Anne Piehl (Rutgers University) evaluates a range of existing reform efforts and proposes ways to roll back excessively punitive sentencing and collateral consequences of incarceration.