Incarceration and inmates’ self perceptions about returning home

Purpose aper expands the emerging literature on offenders’ self-perceptions by exploring prisoners’ perceptions as they are preparing to leave prison and return to the community. Research on the impact of imprisonment on reoffending suggests the need to focus on possible individual-level mechanisms that impact prisoner perceptions of life after release from prison. In particular, a greater understanding of the role of prison experiences in offending patterns necessarily requires attention to the perceptions and lived experiences of individuals. s or this paper were derived from self report surveys and interviews of 800 men and women preparing to leave prison. Descriptive and regression analyses were utilized. s s indicate that family support, having children, and in-prison substance abuse treatment increase optimism, while negative family influences (incarceration or drug use of family members), longer incarceration times, and a history of serious drug use reduce optimism about life after incarceration. sions tudy suggests that correctional policies that facilitate family support and offer substance abuse treatment during confinement appear to be important in increasing optimism among men and women returning to the community after incarceration.