Reintegration or stigmatization? Offenders’ expectations of community re-entry

PurposeTo investigate the degree to which offenders expect to be stigmatized or reintegrated after conviction and punishment in the justice system and the factors that influence variations in expectations.MethodsA total of 1,031 adult male subjects convicted in Texas in 1993 and sentenced to a boot camp program were surveyed about their expectations regarding how they would be treated after they were released. Data was also collected on items related to prior criminal activity, race, ethnicity, and selected criminological theories. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and OLS regression.ResultsThe results show that most offenders do not feel as though they will be stigmatized as a result of their convictions. Most expect to be reintegrated when they re-enter the community. Although there is some overlap, different sets of variables influence expectations of stigmatization and reintegration.ConclusionsThe results have implications for restorative justice and other post-conviction treatment programs.

► We investigate how incarcerated offenders feel about re-entering their communities. ► Most offenders do not expect to be stigmatized upon re-entry. ► Most offenders expect to be reintegrated upon re-entering their communities ► Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to expect to be reintegrated than whites. ► The findings are encouraging for other post-conviction treatment programs.