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| Reentry Council: Fighting Myths and Creating Opportunities |
| By Office of Justice Programs |
| Published: 06/30/2011 |
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Few issues have a more widespread or profound impact on our criminal and juvenile justice systems—and our communities—than reentry. To address reentry issues that cut across the entire federal government, Attorney General Eric Holder convened the cabinet-level interagency Reentry Council. The purpose of this group is to bring together numerous federal agencies to make communities safer; assist those returning from prison and jail in becoming productive, tax-paying citizens; and save taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration. Recently, the Reentry Council launched a new Web site. The Web site outlines the mission and goals of the Council and highlights initial activities. As a starting point, the federal partners on the Council are examining barriers to successful reentry. For instance, the Attorney General is encouraging State Attorneys General to review the collateral consequences of incarceration in their states and eliminate laws that impose burdens on former offenders without increasing public safety. As part of their efforts to assist the field, the Council also released a series of Reentry MythBusters. These one-page fact sheets confront common misconceptions about federal laws and policies that affect formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Topics range from information on hiring ex-offenders to guidance on applying for government benefits and public housing. Many of the fact sheets point out that state and local governments have substantial discretion in applying policies to returning inmates. The only way to close the revolving door on our nation’s prisons and jails is to work together to open more doors for ex-offenders in our communities. With this goal in mind, the Reentry Council will continue to develop new resource materials and promote policies and practices to improve reentry outcomes. As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, and comments. Read More. |
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