Home      Login

Abstract: 

Homelessness and housing instability among individuals leaving prison or jail can be a significant impediment to successful community reentry. This article examines the barriers homeless ex-offenders face in accessing emergency and permanent housing and what strategies can be employed to improve outcomes. The article considers how the rationing of social services to ex-offenders has had a negative effect on successful prisoner reentry and how these ineffective policies fail to promote public safety. Collateral sanctions such as ineligibility for social entitlements or community notification, compounded by the increased trend of ex-offenders leaving prison without supervision, increase housing instability. Planning for discharge, expanding transition services, and providing targeted housing for ex-offenders can play a critical role in improving housing stability, especially for those ex-offenders who have a mental health diagnosis, a history of addiction, or who have been convicted of a sexual offense. Creative collaborations among stakeholders can promote positive outcomes that result in cost savings across multiple systems.

Keywords: Ex-offenders, homelessness, prisoner reentry, housing instability, shared living arrangements

Affiliations:  1: Rutgers University School of Social Work.