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Cross-Examining the Race-Neutral Frameworks of Prisoner Re-Entry

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Abstract

Prisoner re-entry literature has primarily been framed as a problem that affects all types of ex-offenders, regardless of race. Surprisingly, the issue of race has been ignored in most of the literature on prisoner re-entry. In this paper, we maintain that the effect of contextual racial stratification is so powerful that for the majority of White ex-offenders the large social capital at their disposal might buffer against the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. By contrast, Black ex-prisoners might be more vulnerable to the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction precisely because of their greater individual-level, accumulated disadvantage. We contend that structural-level factors have more explanatory power than individual-level factors and identify causal mechanisms that link social context with the large Black-White disparity in recidivism. Finally, we propose a racial/ethnic integration model for successful re-entry and reintegration.

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  1. Department of Law and Criminology, Aberystwyth University, Hugh Owen Building, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DY, UK

    Olaoluwa Olusanya

  2. College of Applied Arts Criminal Justice, Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, TX, USA

    Jeffrey M. Cancino

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  1. Olaoluwa Olusanya
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Olusanya, O., Cancino, J.M. Cross-Examining the Race-Neutral Frameworks of Prisoner Re-Entry. Crit Crim 20, 345–358 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-011-9143-y

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