The Crime and Justice Institute marks Second Chance Month by examining what evidence and real-world experience show is required to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.
Every April, Second Chance Month asks a deceptively simple question: how can we help people return from incarceration and remain in their communities? The answer isn’t just about programs, it’s about designing systems that work together. Jurisdictions that reduce recidivism do so by aligning housing, supervision, behavioral health, and employment from day one.
Reentry Is a Central Public Safety Issue, Not Just a Social Service
Reentry is often discussed as a social service—part of rehabilitation and an important area of focus after release.
Nearly 95 percent of people who are incarcerated will eventually be released. Each year, that translates to approximately 600,000 people returning from state and federal prisons and 9 million from local jails, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Research shows that the first hours, days, and months after release are the most critical: new offenses are more likely to occur soon after release, and recidivism risk declines as reintegration progresses.
Timely and reliable access to essential support for people returning from incarceration like housing, health care, and employment, has clear implications for public safety and community well‑being. For that reason, the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) approaches reentry not only as a service delivery challenge, but as a core public safety strategy.
When systems work together, risk of new crime decreases. When they don’t, people are more likely to cycle back into the justice system, often at significant human and fiscal cost.
Reentry Success Relies on Effective Coordination Across Systems
Second Chance Month often highlights individual programs designed to support reentry. Programs are important, and many are effective, but individual programs alone are not enough.
Jurisdictions that achieve better outcomes tend to share one common feature: they align key systems from the start. Housing, community supervision, behavioral health care, and employment supports are coordinated rather than siloed. Planning begins before release and continues through the early months in the community, when needs are most acute and supports are most impactful.
Sustaining and Scaling Impact
Federal reentry programs continue to demonstrate broad legislative support. On October 9, 2025, the U.S. Senate passed the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 as part of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, continuing authorization for critical recidivism reduction and reentry services. Since 2008, more than 442,000 justice-involved individuals have participated in reentry programs funded through these grants.
But sustaining and scaling effective reentry strategies requires leadership and investment beyond the federal level. State, local, and philanthropic partners play a critical role in ensuring evidence‑based approaches are implemented with fidelity, coordinated across systems, and adapted to local contexts.
By aligning policy, funding, and practice, partners can help jurisdictions move beyond isolated efforts toward reentry systems that improve public safety, strengthen economic mobility, and reduce avoidable justice system costs.
What Actually Drives Reentry Success
Evidence points to several consistent principles that guide successful reentry efforts. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Roadmap to Reentry identifies five evidence-based principles that guide reentry efforts from intake through reintegration. CJI’s work aligns with these principles:
- Individualized Planning: Reentry support starts before release and is tailored to each person’s needs, laying the foundation for stable, successful reintegration.
- Example: CJI’s Coming Home Directory connects individuals to local resources.
- Addressing Key Needs: Programs target education, employment, and behavioral health to reduce recidivism, building skills and opportunities for long-term success.
- Example: Tennessee Office of Reentry: Creating Pathways to Successful Reentry through Employment – Crime and Justice Institute shows how Tennessee removed barriers and improved state-coordinated reentry processes.
- Housing & Community Supports: Access to stable housing and local services supports safe transitions, reducing barriers that can lead to re-incarceration.
- Example: Innovations Series: Successful Reentry Through Safe Housing Solutions shows how Louisiana and Tennessee close housing gaps.
- Evidence-Based Supervision: Supervision focuses on risk reduction, promoting accountability while supporting positive outcomes.
- Example: National Standards for Community Supervision guide policies that support success.
- Cross-System Coordination: Collaboration across corrections, health, and human services strengthens support networks, improving outcomes and maximizing community resources.
- Example: North Dakota Justice Reinvestment Initiative Reentry Study Work Group demonstrates effective statewide collaboration.
The CJI Perspective: Guidance for Decision Makers
Improving and expanding reentry programs is important. But sustainably improving reentry outcomes requires aligning policy, funding, and implementation.
- For Policymakers:
- Prioritize sustained funding for proven strategies
- Support cross-agency coordination
- For Practitioners:
- Focus resources on the crucial first months after release
- Use data-informed practices to support supervision success
- For Funders:
- Invest in systemwide approaches, not just silos
- Support implementation and scaling of evidence-based practices
Learn more about how CJI is Transforming Justice Systems, Together: