Reentry Readiness of
Men and Women
Leaving New Jersey
Prisons

January 2010

Nancy Wolff, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers University
Jing Shi, M.S.
Statistician, Rutgers University

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons
Nancy Wolff, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research and Professor,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick (nwolff@ifh.rutgers.edu).
Jing Shi, M.S., Statistician, Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research (jshi@ifh.rutgers.edu).

Center’s Mission
The Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research seeks to improve the availability and effectiveness of
services for individuals with mental illnesses who are involved with the criminal justice system.
The Center encourages researchers and stakeholders to work together to ensure that people with mental illnesses, with and
without co-occurring substance use problems, receive access to evidence-based treatment services, employment and housing
opportunities, and public benefits that will increase their prospects for living and thriving in the community.

Established in September 2002
Funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health
Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research
176 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 | Tel: 732.932.1225 | Fax: 732.932.1233

To download copies of this report visit our website at www.cbhs-cjr.rutgers.edu

Design by DotArt Design Solutions, Highland Park, NJ www.dotartdesignsolutions.com

Foreword
The field of corrections has entered a new, “evidence-based” era. In this new era of “evidence,” the new vanguard of correctional
leadership has committed itself to three ways of doing business:
1.	 To develop an array of knowledge about correctional problems and correctional practices, including better knowledge
about the needs of people who are under correctional authority and the effectiveness of various alternative strategies
for responding to those needs.
2.	 To mold correctional practice in ways that reflects what has been learned about the nature of correctional problems
and the effectiveness of correctional strategies.
3.	 To design correctional action with a commitment to learning from it—that is, to be continually asking, “What new
problems do we face, and how well do our methods perform in addressing those problems?”
In this way, the evidence-based monument in corrections is not merely a technical advance in the corrections system. It is a
philosophical overhaul of the correctional agenda.
The evidence-based ethic is, today, particularly fitting for the problems facing New Jersey. On the one hand, the citizens of the
state have called upon its justice system to be ever-more cognizant of the need for policies and practice that promote public
safety. This is a profound call for a focus on evidence: “What strategies reduce crime, and how can we maximize them?” On the
other hand, those same citizens have demanded a renewed accountability for wise stewardship of the public purse: “In what
ways can the public interest in improved public safety be achieved at less cost?”
This report by the Center for Mental Health Services & Criminal Justice Research can be understood as an important step in the
evidence-based agenda in New Jersey correctional policy. It is the most comprehensive study ever done of the needs of people
who are confined in New Jersey correctional facilities, and it can serve as a blueprint for the design of evidence-based practice in
addressing those needs.
The report finds that people who are incarcerated in New Jersey struggle with a host of problems that affect their ability to live
crime-free lives upon their release from confinement. The range of problems this group faces is daunting, from difficulties in
readiness to enter to job market to problems in mental and physical health. The report further finds that far too few of these
problems are addressed during the period of confinement. In short, we now know that New Jersey’s correctional population,
almost all of whom will be released to our communities, includes many people who are far from ready to succeed in our
communities.
In this way, the Center’s report is an invaluable call for us to focus our attention on ways we can improve the readiness of people
who are behind bars to take their place as productive fellow citizens.
What do we know about the best ways to do so?
Here again, the report provides invaluable guidance. A consensus has grown in the correctional profession to embrace three
ideas of reentry. First, the preparation for release should not be back-loaded, but should begin upon the first day of confinement. Second, investments in community-based correctional strategies pay off in reduced rates of recidivism. Third, because
the length-of-stay has little impact on recidivism, a more cost-effective approach is to accelerate the movement of people from
confinement to the community and to use the cost savings that result as investments in the public safety infrastructure of those
communities.
I am proud to introduce this report. It is not only an important new study of our correctional agenda; it is a first step in the
arrival of a new era of evidence-based correctional practice in New Jersey.

Todd R. Clear
Dean-designee
School of Criminal Justice
Rutgers University

Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the many people who assisted in the design and implementation of the survey and report.
First and foremost, we thank Commissioner George Hayman for approving the survey and Assistant Commissioner Brigite
Mitchell-Morton and Director Douglas Gerardi for facilitating the implementation of the survey at the releasing facilities under
the auspices of the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC). Together, these administrators demonstrated the vision
and leadership necessary to conduct independent research on the performance of the Department’s effort to protect the public
by preparing people under NJDOC custodial responsibility for their return to the community. Without this level of cooperation
and trust, research in correctional settings is impossible.
We would also like to thank the facility administrators and their custody staff for working efficiently and professionally with the
research staff to move and secure our computers; set up and break down our research areas each day; and work cooperatively
with us in the conduct of a computerized survey that required the movement of over 7,500 people under their custodial responsibility. The administrative and custodial staff of the facilities welcomed us in the spirit of cooperation and in ways that ensured
our security and the efficient conduct of the survey. The team work we experienced was simply outstanding and remarkably
satisfying.
To the survey respondents, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation. This report was possible only because they were
willing to trust us with their experiences, needs, and hopes. We know that their trust is not given easily and for this we can only
hope that our work lives up to the trust that they placed in us. We hope that this report will provide the details about what they
need while incarcerated to do what is expected of them upon release – to live productively and pro-socially in the community as
tax-paying citizens, employees, parents, friends, and neighbors.

a
“The world that we left was long gone. The danger was that our ideas had
become frozen in time. Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very
easy to remain in the same place in jail while the world moves on.”
–Nelson Mandela, The Long Walk to Freedom

Table of Contents
Reentry Readiness of Men and Women
Leaving New Jersey Prisons
Executive Summary......................................................................................................................................................... 1
	 I. 	 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 3
	 II. 	 People Leaving New Jersey Prisons...................................................................................................................... 4
				 Demographic Characteristics of the Soon-to-be-Released Sample......................................................................... 4
				 Health Status of the Soon-to-be-Released Sample..................................................................................................... 4
				 Criminal Profile of the Soon-to-be-Released Sample................................................................................................ 5
	III. 	 Reentry Assistance Reported by Soon-to-be-Released People............................................................................ 7
				 How is the NJDOC Helping with Reentry Assistance?.............................................................................................. 7
				 Who’s Helping Soon-to-be-Released People?.............................................................................................................. 7
	 IV. 	 Self-Assessed Reentry Readiness of Soon-to-be-Released People..................................................................... 10
				 Are the Soon-to-be-Released Ready for Reentry?.................................................................................................... 10
				 What Gives Hope to Soon-to-be-Released People?.................................................................................................. 11
	 V. 		Reentry Readiness Skills of Soon-to-be-Released People.................................................................................. 13
				 What Skills are Important to Master Prior to Release?............................................................................................ 13
				 Access to Social Functioning Skill Programming..................................................................................................... 13
				 Assessment of Social Functioning Skill Programming............................................................................................ 15
				 Access to Educational and Vocational Programming.............................................................................................. 15
				 Assessment of Educational and Vocatiional Programming.................................................................................... 15
	VI. 	 Employment Readiness of Soon-to-be-Released People................................................................................... 19
				 Employment Experiences Prior to Incarceration..................................................................................................... 19
				 Employment Experiences During Incarceration...................................................................................................... 19
VII. 	 Summary and Recommendations...................................................................................................................... 22
Appendix: Reentry Readiness Survey Methods

	

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Executive Summary
Approximately 10,000 men and women leave New Jersey
prisons each year. Many of these people return to jail and
prison for parole violations or new convictions within days,
months, or years post-release. Current efforts to stop the
revolving prison door focus on the reentry preparedness of
people leaving prison. Special funding has been set aside
under federal legislation called the Second Chance Act to
improve reentry services across the country.
While reentry-related funding is flowing into states, its
target efficiency and ultimate effectiveness in terms of protecting public safety depend on whether it goes to the right
people, in the right places, and in the right ways. For this, it
is critical to know the population – its needs, strengths, and
resources. Equally critical is awareness of the rehabilitation
and reentry capability of the institutions that serve as ‘home’
for this population for years and in many cases decades.
The Reentry Readiness Survey was conducted in June
through August 2009 and was completed by approximately
4,000 soon-to-be-released men and women housed in the 11
releasing prisons operated by the New Jersey Department of
Corrections (NJDOC). Respondents were within 24 months
of their expected release date. Data from the survey describe
the general state of readiness of soon-to-be-released people
in terms of their needs, strengths, and resources, and the
responsiveness of prison programming to them.
On average, those who responded to the survey had been
incarcerated three to four years, and were expected to be
released under parole supervision. While the majority
of people completing the survey reported feeling hopeful
about their reentry prospects, there are reasons for concern,
including:
l	 A sizable minority of soon-to-be-released respondents has chronic health and/or mental health
problems that yield chronic pain and/or will require
follow-up treatment in the community.
l	 The majority of the soon-to-be-released sample will
be released with drug-related convictions that may
constrain their ability to receive cash assistance,
food stamps, and public housing.
l	 One-third or more of respondents had no one helping them to find housing or a job.
l	 Nearly half or more of soon-to-be-released men
(46.4%) and women (55.0%) indicated that they did
not think or did not know if they would be able to
support themselves in the community, suggesting that they plan to rely heavily on their family,
friends, or charitable organizations for support.

“No one is going to help prisoners. There
is at least a 2 to 3 year waiting list for most
programs, though not many are offered here.
After release, we have very little money saved
and only minimum wage jobs as options.
Many of us revert back to selling drugs
because of the easy money, which helps us
pay off fines, rent, child support, and other
living and transportation costs.
This system is fixed.”
l	 Of the soon-to-be-released sample, three-quarters of
male and female respondents indicated owing fines
and another half reported owing fees, with 43 percent of female and 57 percent of male respondents
reporting that they owed both fines and fees.
l	 In general, one-quarter or more of respondents
reported their mastery of money management,
working for a living, being a responsible adult, and
managing drug or alcohol problems as fair or poor.
l	 On average, male and female respondents reported
working less than 20 hours per week while incarcerated and their primary job opportunities centered
on facility maintenance, landscaping, and food
production.
The NJDOC is providing a variety of reentry and skill
building programs that respond to the reentry needs and
preparedness of incarcerated persons. More specifically,
l	 Nearly 70 percent or more of respondents reporting
that they needed behavioral health services said that
they had received the needed services during their
incarceration.
l	 Nearly 70 percent or more of respondents knew
about the STARS (Successful Transition and Reentry Series) reentry program. Of those who were
either enrolled in or had completed the STARS
program, 80 percent or more rated the program as
good, very good, or excellent and said they would
encourage a peer to enroll in the program.
l	 Roughly 30 to 70 percent of respondents requesting
admission into social functioning skill programs
were admitted into the programs.
l	 Of those who participated in the social functioning
skill programs, over 80 percent rated the materials
and instruction as good, very good, or excellent.
l	 Approximately 50 to 85 percent of respondents
requesting admission to educational or vocational
training were admitted into the programs.

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Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

l	 Of those who participated in the educational/vocational programs, over 87 percent rated the materials
and instruction as good, very good, or excellent.
l	 Employment opportunities were provided to most
of the respondents.
To meet the twin goals of effectively preparing soon-to-bereleased people to “make good” upon release and protecting
the public, the ever-shrinking correctional dollar will have
to be spent more efficiently on reentry readiness services.
Two recommendations are advanced: (1) maximize the skillpreparedness of incarcerated people during their mandatory minimum terms and (2) improve the efficiency of the
NJDOC’s spending practices on reentry readiness services.
These recommendations serve to enhance public safety (by
appropriately preparing soon-to-be-released people to function responsibly and productively in the community once
released) and to ensure the productive use of tax revenues
(minimizing the costs of producing reentry readiness and
treatment services).

“…programs are offered and the prison has
useful information for preparing us to return
home, but they aren’t available.”
Recommendation: Universal Reentry Preparedness
during the Mandatory Minimum Term. The NJDOC is
providing less than half of the functioning, educational,
and vocational skill building services needed by the soonto-be-released population. This lack of preparedness puts
the soon-to-be-released individual at risk to fail at reentry
(increasing recidivism) and compromises public safety. It is
recommended that
(a)	 A Reentry Preparedness Checklist be developed
and universally implemented at all New Jersey
prisons. The Reentry Preparedness Checklist would
measure key skills and resources expected upon release and monitor the individual’s progress towards
these goals. Summary statistics on the Reentry
Preparedness of all inmates within 6, 12, 18, and 24
months of release by facility would be posted on the
NJDOC’s website as a way of informing the public of
how the NJDOC is doing in preparing incarcerated
people for their return to the community;

2

(b)	 The Skill-Building Capacity within the NJDOC be
developed and funded to the scale of need within
the incarcerated population during their mandatory
minimum sentence. Skill building programming
would be matched to the skill-building needs of the
target population and scaled to ensure that all incarcerated persons complete these programs during
their mandatory minimum terms; and

(c)	 Reentry Preparedness Standards be established to
determine if an incarcerated person is eligible for
parole consideration upon completion of his or her
mandatory minimum term.
Recommendation: Reallocation of Reentry Preparedness
Funding. The NJDOC contracts with a variety of halfway
houses to provide community-based residential treatment.
The Fiscal 2009 budget allocated approximately $61 million
for residential services that support an average daily halfway population of slightly more than 2,600 people. While
it is often argued that a community-based halfway house
bed is cheaper than a prison bed (hence, saves money), this
is true only if the services provided by the halfway house
could not be provided by the NJDOC while the person
was serving his or her mandatory minimum term. Adding
off-site rehabilitation costs to the back end of a mandatory
minimum term adds $23,000 per year to the incarceration
episode. The NJDOC will not be able to develop a “scale to
need” skill building capacity if it continues to spend the
bulk of its reentry funding on off-site residential rehabilitation received by a minority of incarcerated people. It is
recommended that
(a)	 The share of the NJDOC’s reentry preparedness
dollar spent on off-site services be reduced and
reallocated to on-site reentry preparedness services.
Scaling back its off-site rehabilitation purchases (i.e.,
contracts) yields funds to “make or buy” on-site
skill building programs, which will be universally
distributed across all incarcerated persons within
24 months of their expected release dates. On-site
reentry preparedness dollars will buy more skill
building services per dollar because they are not
buying residential services, only skill building;
(b)	 The Reentry Preparedness Performance Monitoring System be funded through the reallocation of
the off-site rehabilitation dollars. Part of the reallocated reentry preparedness funding would be available to design and implement the Reentry Preparedness Checklist and disseminate this information to
the public via the NJDOC website; and
(c)	 A Community Service Vouchering program be
developed that would allow people released from
prison under community supervision to buy housing, vocational or treatment services as needed
in the communities to which they are returning.
Contracting for residential services has resulted in a
concentration of services in urban areas like Camden, Trenton, and Newark. A vouchering system is
consistent with community reinvestment strategies
and with goals to distribute service capacity more
evenly across the state.

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Approximately 10,000 men and women leave New Jersey
prisons each year. They leave with a multitude of mental
illnesses, addiction disorders, trauma histories, and
chronic health problems, as well as with deficits in interpersonal, vocational, financial, and social resources. Not
surprisingly many of these people return to jail and prison
for parole violations or new convictions within days,
months, or years post-release.

“We need programs on the outside
where people can go for assistance with
housing and jobs. There is little support
for us on the outside.”
Courtesy of Prison Creative Arts

I. Introduction

It is well-known that there is a revolving door on the nation’s prisons. The revolving door exists in part because
this population is unprepared for reentry into communities that are equally unprepared to receive them. Sending
legions of people into communities, particularly distressed
urban communities, with chronic health and behavioral
health problems and few marketable skills or rehabilitative
resources creates desperation, which, in turn, causes crime
and harm. With recidivism, a vicious cycle of incarceration
and crime is reinforced and perpetuated.
Locking people up again and again for crimes instigated by
desperation, however, is a less palatable solution under the
new fiscal strains and constraints facing state governments.
States are learning that they can no longer afford their
“corrections habit.” According to a recent Vera Institute
report,1 corrections expenditures are the second fastest
growing general fund expenditure, second only to Medicaid. Forced by mounting deficits, roughly half of the 50
states have recently reduced funding for corrections. Relatedly, governors in four states (Delaware, Kentucky, North
Carolina, and South Dakota), recognizing the cost-deficit
dilemma, have established statewide reentry task forces to
explore problems and solutions associated with releasing
thousands of people from prison to the community. For
these task forces to be effective, they must have accurate
information about soon-to-be-released persons, including
the skills they have, the resources they need, and the challenges they face.
In 2008 and again in 2009, Congress approved funding to
support reentry initiatives under the Second Chance Act.
The most recent legislation targets funding for reentryrelated employment initiatives, mental health services
programs, and substance abuse prevention and treatment
programs.
While reentry-related funding is flowing into states, including New Jersey, its target efficiency and ultimate effectiveness depend on whether it goes to the right people, in

“We have to go out there and learn
how to live all over.”–Male inmate

the right places, and in the right ways. For this, it is critical
to know the population – its needs, strengths, and resources. Equally critical is awareness of the rehabilitation and
reentry capability of the institutions that serve as ‘home’
for this population for years and in many cases decades.
The Center completed a Reentry Readiness Survey of the
population of soon-to-be-released men and women from
New Jersey prisons. It is the first large-scale, populationbased survey of reentry readiness of a state prison system.
Data from the survey describe the general state of readiness of soon-to-be-released people in terms of their needs,
strengths, and resources. This survey serves as both a
needs/risk assessment tool and a blueprint for intervention
to inform New Jersey’s reentry initiatives in ways that yield
the most rehabilitation and reentry preparedness out of
every correctional dollar.

1
Scott-Hayward. C.S. (July, 2009). The Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Rethinking Policies and Practices, Vera Institute of Justice. Retrieved August 31,
2009, from http: //www.vera.org/files/The-fiscal-crisis-in-corrections_July-2009.pdf.

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Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

II. People Leaving New Jersey Prisons
Over 4,000 soon-to-be-released men and women completed the reentry readiness survey (58% of the eligible
population, see the appendix for more details on the
sampling strategy and methods). The demographic, health,
and criminal history characteristics of the respondents are
described in this section.

Demogr aphic Char acteristics of
the Soon-to-be-Released Sample
The Reentry Readiness Survey sample of men and women
to be released from prison in New Jersey within 24 months
ranged in age from 19 to 79 with a mean age of early to mid
30s (see Table 1). Most were African American or Hispanic, had completed high school or a GED, were single, had
children under the age of 18, and had some form of social
support. Roughly one-fifth of the sample reported having
no family or friends providing social support.

Health Status of the Soon-to-beReleased Sample
People leaving New Jersey prisons have a wide array of
health and behavioral health problems that will require
treatment in the community (see Table 2). Most men and
women are leaving prison overweight and report that
they gained weight while in prison. A significant minority reported fair or poor health, being treated for chronic
health and behavioral health problems while incarcerated,
and having chronic pain. Once they return to the commu-

Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Soon-to-beReleased Sample
Demographic
Characteristics
Age, mean

Women
(n=218)

33.8*

36.5

African American, %

51.5*

38.3

Hispanic, %

25.2

21.2

White, %

15.4*

29.5

Education, % HS/GED or above

61.5

61.3

Marital Status, % married

12.7*

18.9

Children, % w/ children < 18

57.3

55.8

Some Social Support, %

82.8

82.1

6.6

3.7

Veteran, %

4

Men
(n=3986)

“We need drug abuse classes in prison
and more help. Also, we need help
finding good drug abuse programs after
we are released.”
nity, nearly a half or more of soon-to-be-released women
reported that they will need treatment for medical and
addiction-related problems, with over one-third reporting
that they will need mental health treatment. A sizable but
smaller proportion of soon-to-be-released men reported
that they will need community-based treatment for medical and behavioral health problems.
Depending on age group, one-seventh to nearly one-half
of soon-to-be-released people reported needing some type
of behavioral health services (see Table 3). Reported need
was highest among respondents who were 36 or older and
female. Of those respondents indicating a need for behavioral health services, nearly 70 percent or more reported
receiving the needed services, with the notable exception of
female respondents younger than 26 or older than 35 who
self-reported needing substance abuse treatment. Over 85
percent of female respondents reporting a need for mental
health services reported receiving mental health services.

Table 2. Health Status of Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Health Status
Characteristics

Men
(n=3986)
%

Women
(n=218)
%

Weight Problems
Overweight

47.7*

32.9

Obese

30.1*

41.7

16.5*

24.4

22.1*

40.6

5.9*

19.8

Self-rated Health
Fair or Poor
Taking medications for
Chronic medical problems
Emotional/mental problems
Other Limitations
Disabilities limiting work

10.6

11.5

Chronic pain

20.9*

33.2

Medical problems

41.6*

60.1

Mental health problems

17.6*

37.6

Alcohol/drug problems

25.9*

49.5

Community Treatment for

* Statistically significant results comparing men to women based on
t-test or Chi-square test, p <0.05. All percentages are based on
weighted valid numbers.

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Table 3. Behavioral Health Need and Use of Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Behavioral Health Services
Need and Use while
Incarcerated
Substance Abuse Treatment
Need treatment

Men by Age Group
(n=3986)
18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)

36-45
(n=905)

46+
(n=516)

18-25
(n=36)

26-35
(n=67)

36+
(n=114)

17.7%

26.1%

42.1%

33.7%

33.3%

46.3%

38.6%

Received services

24.7

31.1

39.7

35.2

25.0

38.8

29.8

Received services among those
who reported needing treatment

70.8

68.7

69.3

73.9

50.0

67.7

59.1

14.7

16.7

22.4

26.8

38.9

44.8

44.7

13.8

16.1

19.6

23.4

36.1

47.8

43.0

76.8

79.9

79.6

80.6

85.7

96.7

92.2

Mental Health Treatment
Need treatment
Received services
Received services among those who
reported needing treatment

Criminal Profile of the Soon-to-be
Released Sample
On average, soon-to-be-released respondents reported
serving three to four years in prison on their current
conviction (see Table 4). Their criminal convictions varied
from drug-related to violent offenses. Well over half of the
soon-to-be-released men and women reported a drug-related conviction. Type of criminal conviction differentially
impacts access to social services as well as employment
opportunities. Civil consequences are especially severe for
people with drug possession and distribution convictions.2
People leaving New Jersey prisons with drug convictions
may be denied access to public housing, cash assistance,
and federal aid for higher education, as well as have their
driver’s licenses suspended for up to 24 months. Individuals convicted of drug possession charges qualify for cash
assistance if they are enrolled in or have completed a stateapproved drug treatment program.
Roughly one in seven male (n= 553) and one in eight
female (n=28) respondents reported being back in prison
on a parole revocation. As shown in Table 5, the primary
causes of revocation for male respondents were dirty urine,
failure to report, and a new crime. Less than 10 percent of
male respondents indicated being returned to prison due

to fighting, possession of a cell phone, associating with

felons, transportation problems, violating a restraining or-

der, not paying child support, or being in a restricted area.
The sample size for female respondents was too small for
analysis. There is no meaningful age pattern to the number
or causes of parole revocations.

Table 4. Criminal History of Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Criminal History
Characteristics

Men
(n=3986)

Women
(n=218)

Years incarcerated since age 18,
mean

8.0*

5.3

Years incarcerated on current
conviction, mean

3.9*

2.7

Returned on parole violation, %

14.4

12.9

Drug possession

32.1

30.0

Drug distribution

33.6*

22.6

Property offense

19.3*

25.4

2.5*

10.6

24.6*

18.4

5.6

3.7

Type of conviction, %

Fraud/identity theft
Violent
Sexual offense

Pogorzelski, W., Wolff, N., Pan, K., & Blitz, C. (2005). Are second chances possible? The reality of public policy on reentry for ex-offenders with
behavioral health problems. American Journal of Public Health, 95(10), 1718-1724.
2

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Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 5. Parole Revocation of Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Men Reporting Parole Revocation by Age Group
(n=553)

Characteristics of Parole Revocation

18-25
(n=119)

26-35
(n=216)

36-45
(n=145)

46+
(n=73)

11.9

14.7

15.9

14.1

1.1

1.1

1.3

1.7

Dirty urine

22.8

24.1

32.4

31.2

Failure to report

41.9

31.2

34.3

28.5

Breaking curfew

14.8

5.5

11.7

5.3

9.4

17.3

15.7

12.2

Returned on parole violation, %
Number of revocations, mean
Cause of parole violation, %

Address change without notification
Escape or termination from halfway house

6

7.0

10.3

10.5

8.9

Termination from treatment program

11.6

5.5

8.3

14.1

Committed new crime

40.0

46.0

39.2

31.0

Other

19.7

17.6

18.7

14.2

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

III.	Reentry Assistance Reported by Soon-to-be-Released 		
	
People
People leaving prison rely on people inside and outside
prison to help them make plans for their transition back
to the community. The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) provides reentry-specific services that
include employing a cadre of social workers who are assigned reentry responsibilities, including but not limited to
assisting people within six months of their release to obtain
social security cards and birth certificates, to restart public
benefit entitlements that may have been terminated prior to
incarceration, and to find housing. The NJDOC’s Office of
Transitional Services also offers a 12-week reentry program
called STARS, Successful Transition and Reentry Series.
Together, these initiatives are designed to ensure that, according to the NJDOC’s vision statement for reentry, “every
offender released from prison [is] prepared to reenter society
as a productive, law-abiding citizen of New Jersey.”

Who’s Helping Soon-to-be-Released
People?
Most male and female respondents (more than 80%) reported having family and friends who were providing them with
some reentry-related support (see Table 7). Yet one-fifth to
one-half of all respondents reported that no one was helping
them with reentry planning or with finding housing or a job.
The respondents reporting reentry support were generally
younger (aged 35 or younger) and indicated receiving help
with planning their release.
The vast majority of male and female respondents indicated
that they will ask family members to help them when they
return to the community (see Table 8). A sizable proportion
of respondents also plan to ask for assistance from friends,
parole officers, other professionals such as representatives
from public agencies and religious leaders.

The reentry mission of the New Jersey Department of Corrections is “to
enhance public safety by reducing the risk that offenders will reoffend and
return to prison by providing comprehensive services from the time they enter
prison through their reintegration back into society.”

Table 6 shows the reentry assistance from the NJDOC that
was reported by the soon-to-be-released sample by months
to expected release. In general, people closer to their release
date were more likely to report that they had a meeting with
a social worker to discuss reentry. However, less than onethird of females and slightly more than one-third of males
within six months of release reported having a reentry preparation meeting with a social worker and of those, one-half
to two-thirds rated the assistance received as good or better.
Most of the respondents knew of the NJDOC’s STARS reentry program but less than one-third had been enrolled in or
completed the program. Of those who completed the STARS
program, 80 percent or more rated the program as good,
very good, or excellent and 85 percent or more said that they
would recommend the STARS program to their peers.

Photo by Nancy Wolff

How is the NJDOC Helping with
Reentry Assistance?

Expo Day at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in
Clinton, New Jersey, January 2009. Graduates of Community
101, a research-based reentry program, shared what they learned
with community visitors and later to over 300 residents of the
facility.

7

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 6. Experience with In-Prison Reentry Services
Months to Release (Max or Parole Eligibility Date)
Men (n=3986)

Experience with NJDOC
Reentry Services

6 months
or less
(n=1533)

7-12
months
(n=1031)

Women (n=218)
13 or more
months
(n=1422)

6 months
or less
(n=109)

7-12
months
(n=46)

13 or more
months
(n=63)

Met with a social worker to begin reentry
planning, %

	

36.7

	

16.6

	

13.1

	

28.4

	

13.0

	

17.5

Rating of assistance,
% Good, Very Good, or Excellent

	
	

54.5
N = 562

	
	

63.8
N = 172

	
	

62.7
N = 189

	
	

61.3
N = 31

	
	

66.7
N=6

	
	

63.6
N = 11

Know about STARS program, %

	

75.2

	

75.1

	

72.1

	

64.2

	

73.9

	

69.8

Enrolled in or completed STARS, %

	

27.3

	

26.0

	

19.5

	

22.0

	

17.4

	

15.9

Rating of reentry help from STARS,
% good, very good, or excellent

	
	

84.9
N = 410

	
	

87.8
N = 265

	
	

85.5
N = 277

	
	

95.8
N = 24

	
	

87.5
N=8

	
	

80.0
N = 10

Recommend STARS to an associate,
% definitely yes

	
	

85.8
N = 410

	
	

86.6
N = 265

	
	

85.2
N = 277

	
	

87.5
N = 24

	
	

100
N=8

	
	

90.0
N = 10

Table 7. Who is Helping the Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Men by Age Group (N=3986)
Who is
helping
you now
to …

No assistance
needed, already
have
18-35
(n=2477)

36+
(n=1421)

Make plans
for after you
are released

Someone inside
prison

No one

18-35
(n=2477)

36+
(n=1421)

18-35
(n=2477)

32.2%

39.9%

5.1%

36+
(n=1421)

Someone in the
community

Both someone
inside prison and in
the community

18-35
(n=2477)

36+
(n=1421)

18-35
(n=2477)

36+
(n=1421)

7.9%

41.6%

34.6%

20.3%

16.6%

Find housing

38.6

30.6

31.3

38.9

1.9

4.0

23.8

19.2

3.6

6.4

Find a job

12.9

14.6

44.2

51.5

1.8

2.0

32.7

24.1

7.5

6.2

Women by Age Group (N=218)
Who is
helping
you now
to …

No assistance
needed, already
have
18-35
(n=103)

36+
(n=114)

Make plans
for after you
are released
Find housing
Find a job

8

Someone inside
prison

No one

18-35
(n=103)

36+
(n=114)

18-35
(n=103)

20.4%

34.2%

9.7%

36+
(n=114)
10.5%

Someone in the
community
18-35
(n=103)

36+
(n=114)

Both someone
inside prison and in
the community
18-35
(n=103)

41.8%

31.6%

27.2%

36+
(n=114)
21.9%

30.1

32.5

30.1

31.6

3.9

7.0

23.3

19.3

11.7

7.0

5.8

13.2

49.5

50.9

1.9

2.6

32.0

21.1

8.7

9.7

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Table 8. Sources of Assistance upon Release for the Soon-to-be-Released Sample
All (n=4204)
Who will you ask to help you
when you get out?

Men by Age Group
(n=3986)
18-35
(n=2477)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)

36+
(n=1421)

18-35
(n=103)

36+
(n=114)

A family member

85.7%

76.9%

	

89.3%

79.8%

A friend

47.8

45.8

	

49.5

43.9

A parole officer

33.5

35.9

	

62.1

46.5

A professional you know

35.6

36.3

	

24.3

31.6

A religious leader

33.9

46.2

	

43.7

50.9

Someone known in the community

29.3

33.6

	

33.0

37.7

A case manager

12.5

23.5

	

26.2

29.8

Government employee

12.8

20.1

	

19.4

21.1

Other

17.3

19.7

	

21.4

26.3

4.1

4.8

	

0

1.8

No one

“Social services and other people from programs tell us to ‘do
our best’ but if we’re trying to climb out of a hole, we don’t know
how to stay off the streets when we get out.”

9

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

IV. Self-Assessed Reentry Readiness of Soon-to-be-Released
	
People
Rarely in correctional settings are self-assessment or service
satisfaction surveys conducted. Even though research shows
that self-assessment and satisfaction scores predict outcomes
in terms of treatment compliance and behavior. Without this
type of information, it is difficult to determine if the billions
of public funds spent on reentry, health, behavioral health,
and educational services are cost-effective. This section describes the overall reentry readiness of people leaving New
Jersey prisons as reported by male and female respondents
who were 24 months or less from release.

Are the Soon-to-be-Released Ready
for Reentry?
As shown in Table 9, when asked about their readiness
to live independently in the community, three-quarters
or more of male and female respondents reported their
readiness as good or better. Roughly one in five women and
one in four men reported their readiness as poor or fair.
However, when asked if they thought they would be able to
support themselves in the community, nearly half or more of
soon-to-be-released men (46.4%) and women (55.0%) indicated that they did not think or did not know if they would
be able to support themselves in the community, suggesting
that they may plan to rely heavily on family, friends, and
charitable organizations.

“Prison is not equipped to train or
educate us. So when we leave and go
home, with no training or skills or support,
we wind up repeating past mistakes.
The prison should provide more
programs for reentry.”

This uncertainty about being able to support themselves in
the community may be in part a consequence of their debt
situation. People often leave prison owing fines, fees, and
child support payments. Of the soon-to-be-released sample,
three-quarters of male and female respondents indicated
owing fines and another half reported owing fees, with
43 percent of female and 57 percent of male respondents
reporting that they owed both fines and fees. Half or more
of soon-to-be-released sample reported owing more than
$1,000 in fines and 34 percent of male and 22 percent of

10

Table 9. Self-Assessed Readiness of Soon-to-beReleased Sample
How would you rate
your readiness to live
independently in the
community?

Men
(n=3986)

Women
(n=218)

Excellent

20.8%

19.7%

Very Good

24.4

26.6

Good

28.1

33.0

Fair

20.3

16.1

Poor

6.3

4.6

female respondents also reported owing more than $1,000
in fees. In addition, child support payments were owed
by nearly 30 percent of male and 14 percent of female
respondents.
Respondents were also asked specific questions about their
reentry readiness in terms of having personal identification,
housing, transportation, money, employment, social support, and medications for chronic conditions. This picture
of reentry readiness varies by age and gender (see Table 10).
Overall, younger male and female respondents reported
being better prepared to return to the community than their
older counterparts. On a 10-point scale of readiness (the
sum of the rows in Table 10), the majority of younger men
and women reported having 7 or more points of readiness,
with a job, money, and transportation being areas of least
readiness. Identification, housing, job, money, transportation, and social support were areas of readiness that were
more problematic for older male and female respondents.
Soon-to-be-released women, compared to their agematched male counterparts, were more likely to report
having a place to live, transportation, and supportive family
or friends but were less likely to have a job paying a living
wage (particularly for those women older than 35) and $500
upon release. Half or more of soon-to-be released men and
women across all age groups with chronic conditions reported not expecting to have medications or referrals to treatment for chronic medical conditions upon release, although
women were more likely to report that they expected to have
medications and referrals than their male counterparts.

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

When asked more specifically about whether they expected
to have standard forms of identification upon release, 50 to
70 percent of those surveyed expected to have their social
security cards and birth certificates (see Table 11). Only
about one-third of respondents expected to have a driver’s
license. It is important to note that one-third or more of
men and women surveyed expected to be released without a
birth certificate or social security card.

What Gives Hope to Soon-to-beReleased People?
Most of the survey respondents reported being hopeful
about “making it” in the community upon release (see
Table 12). The sources of their hopefulness were in domains
of self-efficacy and prison-related growth, enhanced by
support received or promised from family, although soonto-be-released women were more likely to report hopefulness from these sources and other sources than their male
counterparts.

Table 10. Dimensions of Reentry Readiness for Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Men by Age Group
(n=3986)

Dimensions of Readiness

1
2

18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)

36-45
(n=905)

46+
(n=516)
	

18-25
(n=36)

6.3

	

7.4

97.7%

	

100%

	

60.5

	

72.2

	

66.0

	

88.9

26-35
(n=67)
	

36+
(n=114)

Overall readiness score,1mean

	

7.5

	

6.9

	

6.1

6.5

	

6.6

Care about being ready

	

98.2%

	

98.7%

	

98.4%

98.5%

	

99.1%

Photo ID upon release

	

71.5

	

62.1

	

58.8

	

58.2

	

68.4

Have safe place to live for 6+
months

	

86.4

	

80.2

	

68.4

	

76.1

	

73.7

Have job paying a living wage2

	
44.1
	 N = 990

	
41.6
N = 1436

	
37.5
	 N = 895

	
44.9
	 N = 482

	
42.9
	 N = 35

	
40.6
	 N = 64

	
33.6
	 N = 107

Have at least $500 upon release

	

56.8

	

48.6

	

36.4

	

50.5

	

44.4

	

23.9

	

38.6

Have reliable transportation

	

64.0

	

51.7

	

41.2

	

45.7

	

66.7

	

59.7

	

52.6

Have supportive family/friends

	

90.0

	

84.5

	

77.6

	

75.2

	

94.4

	

82.1

	

79.0

Have trusted person to talk with

	

83.9

	

83.7

	

78.9

	

81.2

	

83.3

	

80.6

	

82.5

Have one-month of
medications2

	
40.1
	 N = 356

	
32.7
	 N = 625

	
30.1
	 N = 537

	
42.9
	 N = 415

	
50.0
	 N = 16

	
44.4
	 N = 45

	
50.0
	 N = 82

Referrals for chronic conditions2

	
37.7
	 N = 415

	
32.2
	 N = 672

	
30.4
	 N = 586

	
39.0
	 N = 426

	
45.0
	 N = 20

	
50.0
	 N = 50

	
50.0
	 N = 88

Overall Readiness Score: Summation of ‘yes’ and ‘don’t apply’ responses to 10 sub-dimensions of readiness.
Excludes respondents where the scores does not apply.

11

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 11. Status of Personal Identification of Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Months to Release (Max or Parole Eligibility Date)
Men (n=3986)
At release, expect to have
immediate access to your….

6 months
or less
(n=1533)

7-12
months
(n=1031)

Women (n=218)
13 or more
months
(n=1422)

6 months
or less
(n=109)

7-12
months
(n=46)

13 or more
months
(n=63)

Birth certificate

66.9%

63.3%

59.7%

66.1%

71.7%

60.3%

Social security card

66.0

60.0

57.9

67.9

65.2

54.0

Driver’s license

32.0

30.8

28.7

32.1

37.0

34.9

Table 12. Source of Hope Reported by Soon-to-be-Released Sample
What gives you hope about your reentry readiness?
Percent Reporting

63.8

20.2

Faith in God

20.6

Inner strength

0.5

Commitment
to succeed

Women
(n=218)

Job
Skills

17.1

Programs
completed

53.8*

Ability to
survive
prison

11.1*

Self-Efficacy

Work done
on self

Friends

1.5

Prison-related Growth

Community
Programs

Family

Men
(n=3986)

What gives
you hope
about your
readiness?

Nothing

People inside
prison

Support Received or
Promised from

9.9*

42.0*

23.2*

25.0*

48.4

57.3*

55.6*

54.3*

62.4

39.9

46.3

47.3

71.1

72.0

22.0

74.8

*Statistically significant results comparing men to women based on t-test or Chi-square test, p < 0.05. All percentages are based on weighted
valid numbers.

12

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

V. Reentry Readiness Skills of Soon-to-be-Released People
Having social, educational, and vocational skills is critically
important if successful reentry is to be likely for people
leaving prison. The NJDOC offers a wide variety of social
service, educational, and vocational programs (see textbox).
This section describes the skills that soon-to-be-released
men and women think are important to master prior to
release and their access to and assessment of the social, educational, and vocational programs provided by the NJDOC.

What Skills are Important to
Master Prior to Release?
Respondents were first asked what skills they thought were
important and most important to master prior to their
release and then to assess their skills in these areas on a fivepoint scale ranging from excellent to poor.
Table 13 shows the skills identified as important to master
prior to release, ordered by skills identified as important
by the largest to smallest percentage of respondents. Over
50 percent of male and female respondents identified the
following skills as important to master: money management,
working for a living, being a responsible adult, and attitude
management. For most of the female age groups, skills also
identified as important to master prior to release were time
management, parenting, parole supervision, coping skills,
and managing drug or alcohol problems.
The three most important skills to master prior to release
and self-reported levels of mastery are shown in Table
14. Of those skills identified as most important to master,
one-quarter to one-third of male respondents (except for
males older than 45) rated their mastery level at fair or poor.
Particularly low mastery levels were identified for skills
related to working for a living among younger male respon-

“We need better reentry programs for
people here for over 20 years. We need
to learn job skills. I feel so unprepared.”
dents. Although only a small minority of male respondents
indicated that managing drug or alcohol problems was most
important to master, of those that did, one-third to nearly
one-half depending on age group reported fair or poor levels
of mastery.
Female respondents identified similar skills as most
important to master, although compared to their male
counterparts, female respondents were more likely to report
managing drug or alcohol problems as most important to
master prior to release (see Table 14). One-third or more of
female respondents assessed their mastery levels as fair or
poor in areas of money management and managing drug
or alcohol problems. Over half of female respondents older
than 45 rated their skills as fair or poor in areas of managing
addictive behaviors and coping skills (not shown).

Access to Social Functioning Skill
Progr amming
The NJDOC offers an assortment of social functioning skill
building programs (i.e., programs that focus on managing
anger and anxiety, parenting, positive thinking, and victim
empathy) to incarcerated persons. Survey respondents
were asked if they knew about the NJDOC programs,
whether they had requested admission to the programs
and if so, how many times, and whether they had been
accepted into a program.

The NJDOC offers a variety of social, educational, and vocational programs. To provide these services, the
NJDOC benefits from in-kind donations from educational institutions, private, nonprofit service agencies,
and faith-based organizations, as well as grant funding based on partnerships with universities, other state
agencies, private, nonprofit service agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Some of the NJDOC’s social service, health, and educational programs are funded by grants from the
National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Office of Justice Programs, and
the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Many of the NJDOC’s educational programs are provided by the State’s institutions of higher education,
including Drew University, Mercer County Community College, Monmouth University, Princeton
University, Raritan Valley Community College, Rutgers University, and Union County Community College.

13

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 13. Important Social Functioning Skills to Master Prior to Release for Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Men by Age Group
(n=3986)

Important skills to master
prior to release

18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

36-45
(n=905)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)
46+
(n=516)

18-25
(n=36)

26-35
(n=67)

36+
(n=114)

Money management

75.3%

75.6%

72.2%

61.6%

91.7%

74.6%

71.9%

Working for a living

72.7

72.2

66.2

60.4

72.2

79.1

67.5

Being a responsible adult

69.1

71.9

67.7

63.1

80.6

85.1

68.4

Attitude management

60.7

59.9

59.4

51.1

66.7

70.2

62.3

Time management

48.8

48.7

45.0

40.8

41.7

50.8

50.9

Nutrition and health

40.8

45.4

45.7

47.7

38.9

46.3

53.5

Parenting

40.3

53.4

48.2

28.6

44.4

65.7

32.5

Parole supervision

40.3

39.8

36.4

41.3

72.2

50.8

44.7

Coping skills

32.0

36.4

43.6

43.2

50.0

56.7

54.4

Managing drug/alcohol problems

29.6

34.5

45.3

43.6

55.6

58.2

57.9

Computer literacy

27.3

40.6

48.5

44.9

27.8

40.3

50.9

Coping with stigma

15.1

21.4

25.7

27.8

19.4

23.9

28.1

Illness management

10.4

14.4

18.3

28.0

16.7

26.9

21.1

7.3

8.2

10.2

11.6

22.2

43.3

25.4

Trauma

Table 14. Mastery of Social Functioning Skills Considered Most Important for Soon-to-be-Released Sample
Men by Age Group (n=3986)
Three most
important skills
to master prior
to release

18-25 (n=1012)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

26-35 (n=1465)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

36-45 (n=905)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

46+ (n=516)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

Money
management

55.8%

28.8%

51.4%

34.0%

46.3%

33.1%

41.6%

27.4%

Working for a
living

47.0

34.5

47.6

33.4

44.4

21.0

37.0

14.1

Being a
responsible adult

40.4

23.3

39.9

25.9

37.0

27.5

29.8

18.1

Managing drug or
alcohol problems

9.7

37.9

13.9

44.0

24.6

46.9

26.6

35.2

Women by Age Group (n=218)
Three most
important skills
to master prior
to release

1

14

18-25 (n=36)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

26-35 (n=67)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

36-45 (n=76)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

46+ (n=38)
%
Respond

Rate Skills
Fair or
Poor1

Money
management

41.7%

36.4%

34.3%

44.0%

42.1%

39.0%

36.8%

43.5%

Working for a
living

41.7

26.9

37.3

18.9

42.1

24.0

44.7

29.6

Being a
responsible adult

38.9

31.0

47.8

15.8

25.0

15.1

31.6

28.0

Managing drug or
alcohol problems

36.1

35.0

28.4

33.3

43.4

31.9

36.8

52.6

Percentages are among those who think the skills are important.

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

As shown in Table 16, 80 percent or more of female respondents were aware of the various functioning skill building
programs (with the exception of the anxiety management
program). Of those who knew about a program, one-third
or more of these female respondents requested participation.
The most frequently requested programs were behavioral
modification, parenting, and positive thinking. On average, those females seeking access to skill building programs
requested admission two to five times, with roughly 55 to
76 percent eventually gaining access to the program, with
the exception of the victim empathy program. Although a
sizable proportion of the respondents reported not knowing why they were denied access, the most common reason
given for not being admitted into a program was again
insufficient program capacity.

“The wait list for reentry programs is too
long. There’re only 12 seats available in
each program.”
Assessment of Social Functioning
Skill Progr amming
For those admitted into programs, the survey asked them to
rate the material and instruction on a five-point scale ranging from excellent to poor.
Of those male and female respondents who were eventually admitted into a functioning skill building program, the
majority completed the program and rated the program’s
materials and instruction as good or better (see Table 17).
Less than 20 percent of male and 6 percent of female program participants rated the program materials or instruction as fair or poor.

Photo by Nancy Wolff

The majority of male respondents reported knowing about
the functioning skill building programs offered by the
NJDOC (see Table 15). Of those male respondents who
knew about these programs, roughly half had requested admission to programs on anger management, behavior modification, and positive thinking. In general, male respondents
requested admission to a program at least twice and 50 to
60 percent reported that they were eventually admitted
into the program. Reasons for not being admitted into a
program varied but most common was insufficient program
capacity.

Community 101 graduation ceremony at Edna Mahan
Correctional Facility for Women. Graduates spoke to community
visitors, the media, and correctional staff about what they learned
in Community 101 and how the class got them ready to reenter the
community.

Access to Educational and
Vocational Progr amming
While most male respondents were aware of GED and
vocational training (trades) opportunities, considerably
fewer reported knowing about other educational opportunities, such as college and distance learning (see Table 18).
The most frequently requested educational program by
male respondents was vocational training that focused on
building trade-related skills. On average, males interested in
these programs reported requesting access to the programs
at least twice and roughly half or more were admitted into
the program.
Female respondents were generally aware of the educational
programming available at the women’s prison, particularly
that related to GED, college, and office skills training (see
Table 19). Access to these programs was requested between
two and four times by at least 30 or more percent of female
respondents. For most programs, with the exception of the
GED program and video training, roughly two-thirds of
females requesting access to an educational program were
admitted into the program.

Assessment of Educational and
Vocational Progr amming
As shown in Table 20, of those male and female respondents who were enrolled in or completed the various educational/vocational programs, nearly 90 percent or more
reported the materials and instructor as good or better.

15

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 15. Access to Social Functioning Skill Building Programming, Male Respondents
Participation in Programs, Men (N=3986)
Social Functioning Skill
Building Programs

Program
Available
(% yes)

Requested
Program1
(% yes)

Number of
Requests2
(mean)

Accepted3
(% yes)

Anger management
(PN=882; DN=577)

77.2

47.8

2.3

61.0

Anxiety management
(PN=68; DN=78)

18.8

20.5

5.0

47.2

Behavior modification
(PN=801; DN=474)

67.5

48.7

2.3

63.3

Parenting skills
(PN=516; DN=419)

63.4

37.4

2.0

55.5

Positive thinking
(PN=803; DN=710)

73.3

51.9

2.3

53.3

Victim empathy
(PN=424; DN=442)

59.8

36.8

2.3

49.6

Percentages are among those who said programs are available.
Means are among those who had requested the programs.
3
Percentages are among those who requested the programs.
PN: the number who were accepted into the program; DN: the number who were denied admission.
1
2

Table 16. Access to Social Functioning Skill Building Programming, Female Respondents
Participation in Programs, Women (N=218)
Social Functioning
Skill Building Programs

Program
Available
(% yes)

Requested
Program1
(% yes)

Number of
Requests2
(mean)

Anger management
(PN=49; DN=31)

87.6

42.1

2.6

61.3

Anxiety management
(PN=18; DN=7)

35.0

32.9

4.9

72.0

Behavior modification
(PN=51; DN=41)

84.8

50.0

2.2

55.4

Parenting skills
(PN=72; DN=23)

87.6

50.0

1.9

75.8

Positive thinking
(PN=58; DN=48)

87.1

56.1

2.6

54.7

Victim empathy
(PN=18; DN=44)

79.3

36.1

3.4

29.0

Percentages are among those who said programs are available.
Means are among those who had requested the programs.
3
Percentages are among those who requested the programs.
PN: the number who were accepted into the program; DN: the number who were denied admission.
1
2

16

Accepted3
(% yes)

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Table 17. Evaluation of Social Functioning Skill Building Programming, All Respondents
Participation in Skill Building Programs

Social
Functioning
Skill Building
Programs

Men
(N=3986)

Women
(N=218)

Enrolled
in or
Completed1
(% yes)

Rate
Material2
(% Fair or
Poor)

Rate
Instruction2
(% Fair or
Poor)

Anger management
(MN=1046;WN=56)

80.9

17.8

18.5

Anxiety management
(MN=88;WN=19)

87.8

16.5

Behavior
modification
(MN=852;WN=55)

80.5

Parenting skills
(MN=445;WN=78)

Enrolled
in or
Completed1
(% yes)

Rate
Material2
(% Fair or
Poor)

Rate
Instruction2
(% Fair or
Poor)

90.3

5.5

5.5

16.5

90.5

5.6

5.6

14.6

15.5

90.2

3.7

3.7

71.9

5.9

9.3

89.7

3.8

2.6

Positive thinking
(MN=623;WN=53)

64.8

11.1

11.8

82.8

3.7

5.6

Victim empathy
(MN=299;WN=17)

62.3

8.0

11.0

85.0

0

0

Percentages are among those who were accepted into the programs.
Percentages are among those who were enrolled or completed the programs.
MN: the number of men who participated in the program; WN: the number of women who participated in the program.
1
2

Table 18. Access to Educational Programming, Male Respondents
Participation in Programs, Men (N=3986)
Number of
Requests2
(mean)

Program
Available
(% yes)

Requested
Program1
(% yes)

GED
(PN=823; DN=308)

89.6

31.8

2.2

72.9

College
(PN=283; DN=324)

44.1

33.6

2.6

46.5

Distance learning
(PN=43; DN=48)

14.5

16.0

2.1

47.8

Vocational training, trades
(PN=802; DN=559)

58.1

58.9

2.5

59.3

Vocational training, office
(PN=206; DN=218)

44.9

23.9

2.8

48.5

Vocational training, video
(PN=61; DN=64)

18.7

17.3

2.5

48.7

Educational Programs

Accepted3
(% yes)

Percentages are among those who said programs are available.
Means are among those who had requested the programs.
3
Percentages are among those who requested the programs.
PN: the number who were accepted into the program; DN: the number who were denied admission.
1
2

17

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 19. Access to Educational Programming, Female Respondents
Participation in Programs, Women (N=218)
Program
Available
(% yes)

Requested
Program1
(% yes)

Number of
Requests2
(mean)

GED
(PN=59; DN=10)

94.5

33.7

3.1

85.5

College
(PN=38; DN=22)

87.6

31.6

4.3

63.3

Distance learning
(PN=45; DN=22)

71.9

43.0

2.6

67.2

Vocational training, trades
(PN=37; DN=21)

68.7

38.9

2.2

63.8

Vocational training, office
(PN=46; DN=30)

77.9

45.0

2.1

60.5

Vocational training, video
(PN=1; DN=2)

24.9

5.6

23.3

33.3

Educational Programs

Accepted3
(% yes)

Percentages are among those who said programs are available.
Means are among those who had requested the programs.
3
Percentages are among those who requested the programs.
PN: the number who were accepted into the program; DN: the number who were denied admission.
1
2

Table 20. Evaluation of Educational Programming, All Respondents
Participation in Programs
Men (N=3986)
Educational
Programs

Enrolled in or
Completed1
(% yes)

Rate
Material
(% Fair or
Poor)

GED
(MN=1221;WN=56)

82.6%

College
(MN=234;WN=30)

69.2

11.3

Distance learning
(MN=36;WN=40)

62.3

0

Vocational training, trades
(MN=696;WN=36)

71.8

Vocational training, office
(MN=197;WN=38)
Vocational training, video
(MN=53;WN=1)

8.4%

Women (N=218)
Rate
Instructor
(% Fair or
Poor)
10.1%

Enrolled in or
Completed1
(% yes)

Rate
Material
(% Fair or
Poor)

77.8%

1.9%

9.3%

8.1

76.9

0

7.1

5.2

83.3

3.6

2.5

8.8

10.3

90.0

8.3

5.6

75.2

9.5

12.5

80.9

0

5.3

71.9

5.1

3.9

100

100

100

Percentages are among those who were accepted into the programs.
Percentages are among those who were enrolled or completed the programs.
MN: the number of men who participated in the program; WN: the number of women who participated in the program.
1
2

18

Rate
Instructor
(% Fair or
Poor)

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

VI.	Employment Readiness of Soon-to-be-Released People
Photo by Nancy Wolff

Respondents were asked about their employment experiences prior to and during incarceration and the vocational
skills they practiced while incarcerated.

Employment Experiences Prior to
Incarcer ation
The employment experiences of soon-to-be-released men
and women were remarkably conventional (see Table 21).
Most of the men and women reported that they had held a
job for at least a year during their adult life and more than
half reported that their last job prior to incarceration was a
legal job for which they received a paycheck. Less than half
of these individuals, however, were working full-time prior
to their arrest, although men compared to women were
more likely to be employed full-time at the time of their
arrest. At least two-thirds of those employed prior to their
arrest were making a living wage (i.e., enough to pay
their bills).

Employment Experiences During
Incarcer ation
As shown in Table 22, the majority of male and female respondents reported working at least 15 to 20 hours per week
for pay and had held their current job for 4 to 16 months,
depending on the age group. Male respondents, on average,
reported holding jobs for longer periods of time than their
female counterparts, which may reflect the shorter sentences
served by women and their greater programming options.

Table 21. Employment Experiences Prior to
Incarceration, All Respondents
Employment Characteristics

Men
(n=3986)
%

Women
(n=218)
%

Worked full-time prior to arrest

43.7*

33.6

Held job for at least one year

78.5

78.8

Legal job, received paycheck

57.6

58.1

Legal job, paid under the table

13.6

8.8

Illegal job, paid cash

16.3

19.4

5.0

6.0

Not working, legal or illegal job

7.6

7.8

Job paid enough to pay the bills

72.4

67.3

Last job prior to incarceration

Other type of job for pay

Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women has two peerstaffed Community Centers. The Community Centers are used
by the residents and have computers and printers for preparing
letters for community assistance, resumes, and cover letters; resource binders by county; a self-help library; and other resources
to help them get ready to return to the community.

The average respondent was assigned two jobs during their
period of incarceration. Overall, the primary reasons for
leaving a job were relocation to another prison or halfway
house or better opportunities at the same facility.
The job experience gained during incarceration was largely
in the areas of food production, maintenance, and landscaping (see Table 23). Manual labor was the typical job experience among soon-to-be-released inmates. Less than 20
percent of responding inmates had jobs that involved office,
computer, or educational skills. Workers most likely to have
these job opportunities were older than 35.
Most of the vocational skills reportedly acquired during
incarceration were in the areas of food service, construction
trades, landscaping, and maintenance (see Table 24). Male
respondents, compared to their female counterparts, were
more likely to report acquisition of trade-related vocational
skills that would likely lead to employment in areas of construction, landscaping, and facility maintenance. Barbering
and cosmetology were skills most likely acquired by male
and female respondents younger than 35. Computer and
word processing skills were most likely to be reported by
female respondents and respondents younger than 25.

19

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

Table 22. Employment Experiences During Incarceration, All Respondents
Men by Age Group
(n=3986)

Jobs During Incarceration

1
2

18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)

36-45
(n=905)

46+
(n=516)

18-25
(n=36)

26-35
(n=67)

36+
(n=114)

Never assigned job that pays, %

	

17.7

	

13.2

	

11.7

	

15.0

	

16.7

	

6.0

	

7.9

Hours worked/week,1 mean

	

16.8

	

18.2

	

18.3

	

17.5

	

22.7

	

21.9

	

21.9

Number of jobs, mean

	

1.7

	

2.0

	

2.1

	

1.9

	

1.1

	

1.7

	

1.8

Average months/job, mean

	

7.4

	

10.3

	

13.3

	

15.8

	

4.0

	

6.8

	

9.9

Reasons for leaving job,2 %

	 N = 497

	 N = 778

	 N = 488

	N = 272

	 N = 12

	 N = 31

	 N = 44

Moved to another facility

	

29.4

	

33.6

	

33.4

	

35.2

	

16.7

	

6.5

	

Got better job

	

19.4

	

20.7

	

21.2

	

21.5

	

8.3

	

19.4

	

18.2

Started new program

	

10.1

	

8.6

	

11.0

	

11.9

	

33.3

	

16.1

	

20.5

Other

	

22.3

	

19.8

	

20.7

	

17.6

	

25.0

	

22.6

	

36.4

13.6

The mean reported excludes those who did not report working.
Only applies to those respondents who reported leaving a job.

Table 23. Type of Employment Experiences During Incarceration, All Respondents
Men by Age Group
(n=3986)

Jobs During Incarceration

20

18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

36-45
(n=905)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)
46+
(n=516)

18-25
(n=36)

26-35
(n=67)

36+
(n=114)

Facility Maintenance

	

35.2%

	

38.4%

	

38.3%

	

39.6%

	

41.7%

	

25.4%

	

25.4%

Grounds/landscaping

	

33.5

	

38.3

	

38.9

	

34.6

	

13.9

	

17.9

	

20.2

Dietary

	

17.0

	

22.4

	

24.4

	

17.2

	

11.1

	

37.3

	

27.2

Production/distribution

	

10.6

	

11.9

	

15.1

	

15.6

	

8.3

	

25.4

	

23.7

Program aide

	

10.9

	

9.0

	

13.8

	

11.9

	

5.6

	

4.5

	

7.9

Office work

	

7.2

	

8.4

	

7.8

	

9.2

	

5.6

	

6.0

	

18.4

Road crew

	

0.8

	

1.2

	

1.4

	

1.2

0

	

0

	

0.9

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

Table 24. Type of Vocational Skills Acquired During Incarceration, All Respondents
Men by Age Group
(n=3986)

Vocational Skills

18-25
(n=1012)

26-35
(n=1465)

Women by Age Group
(n=218)

36-45
(n=905)

46+
(n=516)

18-25
(n=36)

26-35
(n=67)

36+
(n=114)

16.7%

37.3%

20.2%

Cooking

34.6%

31.0%

30.4%

25.1%

Construction

26.5

20.8

18.6

21.9

5.6

9.0

11.4

Electrical

13.0

9.7

7.2

10.6

8.3

4.5

8.8

Electronics

12.2

7.5

6.0

8.5

13.9

3.0

3.5

Masonry

6.9

9.0

8.2

10.5

0

3.0

4.4

Painting

15.8

13.1

10.6

12.7

0

7.5

9.7

8.0

7.5

6.8

8.7

0

3.0

5.3

Landscaping

20.8

16.9

13.1

15.5

8.3

9.0

11.4

Maintenance

22.6

20.1

17.0

21.6

5.6

9.0

12.3

Barbering

27.5

26.7

21.0

18.1

16.7

19.4

7.9

Cosmetology

15.6

11.5

7.5

6.2

19.4

16.4

7.9

Sewing

10.0

10.1

9.6

11.5

8.3

26.9

32.5

6.1

3.7

2.6

3.9

5.6

7.5

7.9

Microsoft Office

15.6

10.8

9.2

13.4

36.1

14.9

22.8

Basic computers

24.4

19.5

15.7

20.3

36.1

28.4

32.5

Business writing

11.7

8.2

6.8

8.4

19.4

13.4

15.8

Webpage design

8.9

5.6

3.9

7.4

13.9

4.5

15.8

Video production

4.1

3.7

2.4

3.3

0

3.0

4.4

Plumbing

Upholstery

21

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

VII. Summary and Recommendations
People are leaving New Jersey prisons in record numbers.
Overall, according to data reported by the NJDOC, half of
the people incarcerated in New Jersey prisons are serving
time on a violent conviction, while another 30 percent are
serving time for narcotics violations. On average, the majority of people inside prison (69%) must serve their entire
minimum sentence before being considered for parole (referred to as “mandatory minimums”). Although 20 percent
of people with mandatory minimums are serving minimum
terms of 15 years or more, the typical mandatory minimum term is five years. People with mandatory minimum
sentences cannot earn time off their minimum sentences
by engaging in good behavior, such as completing social,
educational, or vocational programs, working, or gaining
minimum security status.
The Reentry Readiness Survey measured the reentry needs
and preparedness of people within 24 months of their expected release from a New Jersey prison. On average, those
who responded to the survey had been incarcerated three
to four years, and were expected to be released under parole
supervision. While the majority of people leaving prison
reported feeling hopeful about their reentry prospects, there
are reasons for concern, including:
l	 A sizable minority of soon-to-be-released respondents has chronic health and/or mental health
problems that yield chronic pain and/or will require
follow-up treatment in the community.
l	 The majority of the soon-to-be-released sample will
be released with drug-related convictions that may
constrain their ability to receive cash assistance,
food stamps, and public housing.
l	 One-third or more of respondents had no one
helping them to find housing or a job.
l	 Of those within six months of release, only 37 percent of male and 28 percent of female respondents
reported meeting with a social worker to discuss
reentry planning, and less than one-third had
been enrolled in or had completed the STARS
reentry program.
l	 Nearly half or more of soon-to-be-released men
(46.4%) and women (55.0%) indicated that they did
not think or did not know if they would be able to
support themselves in the community, suggesting that they plan to rely heavily on their family,
friends, or charitable organizations for support.
l	 Of the soon-to-be-released sample, three-quarters of
male and female respondents indicated owing fines
and another half reported owing fees, with 43 percent of female and 57 percent of male respondents
reporting that they owed both fines and fees.

22

“Survey was good but no
one will listen.”
l	 Half or more of soon-to-be-released sample
reported owing more than $1,000 in fines and 34
percent of male and 22 percent of female respondents also reported owing more than $1,000 in fees.
In addition, child support payments were owed by
nearly 30 percent of male and 14 percent of female
respondents.
l	 In general, one-quarter or more of respondents
reported their mastery of money management,
working for a living, being a responsible adult, and
managing drug or alcohol problems as fair or poor.
l	 Nearly 60 percent or more of respondents were not
working full-time prior to their arrest.
l	 On average, male and female respondents reported
working less than 20 hours per week while incarcerated and their primary job opportunities centered
on facility maintenance (e.g., cleaning up housing
units), landscaping, and food production.
l	 The majority of respondents had not acquired
vocational skills that would lead to communitybased jobs paying a living wage.
There is, however, evidence that the NJDOC is providing a
variety of reentry and skill building programs that respond
to the reentry needs and preparedness of incarcerated
persons. More specifically,
l	 Nearly 70 percent or more of respondents reporting
that they needed behavioral health services said that
they had received the needed services during their
incarceration.
l	 On average, 60 percent of those respondents who
met with a social worker to discuss reentry planning rated the assistance they received as good, very
good, or excellent.
l	 Nearly 70 percent or more of respondents knew
about the STARS reentry program and of those
who were either enrolled in or had completed the
program, 80 percent or more rated the program as
good, very good, or excellent and said they would
encourage a peer to enroll in the program.
l	 Roughly 30 to 70 percent of respondents requesting
admission into social functioning skill programs
were admitted into the programs.
l	 Of those who participated in the social functioning
skill programs, over 80 percent rated the materials
and instruction as good, very good, or excellent.

Reentry Readiness of Men and Women Leaving New Jersey Prisons

programs than the NJDOC currently provides as
indicated by the number of times people request
admission and the refusal rates into programming.
Program capacity needs to be scaled to the need
within the incarcerated population.

l	 Approximately 50 to 85 percent of respondents
requesting admission to educational or vocational
training (with the exception of video training) were
admitted into the programs.
l	 Of those who participated in the educational/vocational programs, over 87 percent rated the materials
and instruction as good, very good, or excellent.
l	 Employment opportunities were provided to most
of the respondents.
l	 A sizable minority of male and female respondents
reported access to college programs, training in
computers and computer-related software, and
training in the trades including masonry, electronics/electrical, and plumbing.
l	 Skill building and educational/vocational programming offered by the NJDOC has benefited from
classes donated by New Jersey universities and colleges, as well as funding received from federal and
charitable grants.
Several important conclusions can be drawn from the
survey findings.
1.	 Window of Opportunity for Skill Building. The
majority of incarcerated persons are held for at least
three to four years prior to their eligibility for parole
or release. This provides a window of opportunity
to deliver a wide variety of skill building programs
to people while they are incarcerated; skills that
will enhance their ability to successfully reenter the
community.
2.	 Motivation towards Skill Building. The majority
of soon-to-be-released people were interested and
participated in skill building and treatment-related
programming.
3.	 Ability to Provide Skill Building Programs. The
skill-building programs provided by the NJDOC
were favorably assessed in terms of materials and
instruction by the people who were enrolled in or
had completed these programs.
4.	 Match Skill Building Programs to Skills Identified as Important by Soon-to-be-Released People.
Many respondents indicated below-average functioning skills in areas that are critically important to
successful reentry, including money management,
working for a living, being a responsible adult, and
managing drug and alcohol problems. Programs are
needed that respond to these skill areas.
5.	 Scale Up Skill Building Programs. There is a
greater need for skill-building and treatment-related

6.	 Engage Social Workers in Reentry Planning. A
significant number of respondents indicated that
they (a) had no one helping them find housing or
a job and (b) had not met with a social worker to
discuss reentry planning even though they were
six months or less from their release date. Getting
people stable housing prior to release is critical for
reentry success.
7.	

Scale Up Employment Programs. People become
institutionalized as a consequence of incarceration (i.e., they learn to condition themselves to the
movement of the facility). People are not institutionalized to work during their incarceration. Many
incarcerated persons are working less than 20 hours
per week and at jobs that are unrelated to jobs available in the community (e.g., cosmetology, barbering (due to licensing restrictions associated with
felony convictions), sewing, upholstery, or cleaning
their units). Conditioning people to normal work
routines and engaging them in viable employment
activities that pay a living wage in the community
are vital for their reentry success.

These conclusions yield several recommendations that are
geared towards improving the skill building capacity and
efficiency of the NJDOC in two ways. First, the recommendations are designed to maximize the preparedness of incarcerated people during their mandatory minimum term.
And, second, to improve the efficiency of the NJDOC’s
spending practices on skill building and treatment services.
In these ways, the recommendations serve to enhance public safety (by appropriately preparing all motivated people
inside prison to function pro-socially in the community
once released) and to ensure the productive use of tax
revenues (minimizing the costs of producing skill building
and treatment services within correctional settings).
Recommendation: Universal Reentry Preparedness
during the Mandatory Minimum Term. On average, it
costs the New Jersey taxpayer approximately $38,000 per
year to incarcerate an individual, of which approximately
$1,500 (4%) funds skill building programming. At this level
of spending, the NJDOC is providing less than half of the
functioning and vocational skill building services needed by
incarcerated people within two years of their release date.
This lack of preparedness puts the soon-to-be-released individual at risk to fail at reentry (increasing recidivism) and
compromises public safety. It is recommended that

23

Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research

“Hopefully the availability of the reentry
programs gets better.
The waiting list is too long.”
(a)	 A Reentry Preparedness Checklist be developed
and universally implemented at all New Jersey
prisons. The Reentry Preparedness Checklist would
measure key skills and resources expected upon release and monitor the individual’s progress towards
these goals. Summary statistics on the Reentry
Preparedness of all inmates within 6, 12, 18, and 24
months of release by facility would be posted on the
NJDOC’s website as a way of informing the public of
how the NJDOC is doing in preparing incarcerated
people for their return to the community;
(b)	 The Skill-Building Capacity within the NJDOC be
developed and funded to the scale of need within
the incarcerated population during their mandatory
minimum sentence. Insufficient program capacity
limits the ability of the NJDOC to adequately prepare incarcerated persons for community reentry.
Skill building programming would be matched to
the needs of male and female inmates and scaled to
ensure that all incarcerated persons complete these
programs during their mandatory minimum terms;
and
(c)	 Reentry Preparedness Standards be established to
determine if an incarcerated person is eligible for
parole consideration upon completion of his or her
mandatory minimum term.
Recommendation: Reallocation of Reentry Preparedness
Funding. Each year approximately 10,000 state inmates
are released to halfway houses under parole supervision (n~2,500), the community under parole supervision
(n~2,500), and the community without parole supervision
(n~5,000). These individuals may receive reentry services
and assistance while in prison, at halfway houses, and/or
through parole supervision. The NJDOC contracts with
a variety of halfway houses to provide community-based
residential treatment for state prisoners released under
conditions of community supervision. The Fiscal 2009
budget allocated approximately $61 million for residential
services that support an average daily halfway population
of slightly more than 2,600 people. The annual average cost
of a community-based rehabilitation bed is approximately
$23,000. While it is often argued that a community-based
halfway house bed is cheaper than a prison bed (hence,
saves money), this is true only if the services provided by the
halfway house could not be provided by the NJDOC while
the person was being held during his or her mandatory minimum term. Adding off-site rehabilitation costs to the back
end of a mandatory minimum term adds $23,000 to the incarceration episode. The NJDOC could save the residential
costs associated with off-site (halfway house) rehabilitation

24

by providing reentry preparedness services on-site during
the mandatory minimum term. It does not make economic
or rehabilitation sense to hold people for years, providing
them minimal to modest access to skill building services,
and then purchase community-based services for some of
those who meet the criteria for halfway house programming
(typically state prisoners with violent convictions or who do
not meet minimum security status are excluded from participating in halfway house opportunities). The NJDOC will
not be able to develop its reentry preparedness capacity to
the scale of population need if it continues to spend the bulk
of its skill building funding on off-site residential treatment
during community supervision. Off-site services are allocated to approximately one-quarter of the people released to
the community from New Jersey prisons. These communitybased residential beds could be alternatively used for people
convicted of non-violent, drug-related crimes; people who
would be more cost-effectively treated through diversion to
mandatory residential drug treatment in lieu of prison. It is
recommended that
(a)	 The share of the NJDOC’s reentry preparedness dollar spent on off-site services be reduced
and reallocated to on-site reentry preparedness
programming. Scaling back its off-site purchases
(i.e., contracts) yields funds to “make or buy” on-site
skill building programs, which will be universally
distributed across all incarcerated persons within
24 months of their expected release dates. On-site
reentry preparedness dollars will buy more skill
building services per dollar because they are not
buying residential services, only reentry preparedness skills. The NJDOC will be more efficient if a
“multi-tasking” approach is applied to the mandatory minimum period.
(b)	 The Reentry Preparedness Performance
Monitoring System be funded through the reallocation of the off-site rehabilitation dollars. Part of the
reallocated reentry preparedness funding would be
available to design and implement the Reentry Preparedness Checklist and disseminate this information to the public via the NJDOC website; and
(c)	 A Community Service Vouchering program be
developed that will allow people released from
prison under community supervision to buy housing, vocational, and treatment services as needed in
the communities to which they are returning. Current contracting practices for residential services
have resulted in the concentration of services in
urban areas like Camden, Trenton, and Newark. By
contrast, vouchers follow the soon-to-be-released
person and stimulate service capacity building more
generally across communities of New Jersey. A
vouchering system is consistent with community
reinvestment strategies and with goals to distribute
service capacity more evenly across the state.

Appendix: Reentry Readiness Survey Methods
Sampling
The study’s population was all inmates housed at 10
adult male prisons and one female prison within 24
months of their parole eligibility or maximum sentence date. Excluded from the eligible population were
inmates housed in the hospital, administrative segregation, halfway houses, or residential treatment units. Also
excluded were individuals off-site the day of the survey
due to court, medical appointments, or work assignments. In addition, individuals were excluded if they
were being deported, had detainers for new charges, or
otherwise had release eligibility dates that were outside
the 24-month window based on recent parole hearings.
Roughly 25 percent of the population was ineligible
for these reasons. In all, 7622 inmates (three-quarters
of the soon-to-be-released population) were eligible to
participate. Data were collected from June 2009 through
August 2009.
All inmates who meet our eligibility criteria (n=7622)
were invited to participate in a survey about the readiness for reentry. Response rates across all facilities
ranged from 46 to 64.9 percent, with a mean response
rate of 58.2 percent (SD: 6.9). A total of 3986 male
(mean age = 33.3, SD = 10.3) and 218 female (mean
age = 36.5, SD = 10.0) aged 18 or older participated in
the study.

Procedures
The consent procedures were approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Boards and Department
of Correction. Subjects were not compensated for
participating.

The surveys were conducted at the female facility during the first week of June, 2009, and at male facilities
from June through August of 2009. The survey was
administered using audio-computerized assistance
survey instrument (CASI) and was available in English
and Spanish. Subjects responded to a computer-administered questionnaire by using a mouse and following
instructions shown on the screen or provided by audio
instructions delivered via headphones. Thirty-three
computer stations were available and research assistants
helped participants as needed. On average, subjects
completed the survey in approximately 60 minutes.

Variables and Measures
The survey was divided into six parts: reentry readiness,
personal well being, prison time, prison programs,
employment experience, and background information.

Weights
Weights were constructed to adjust the sampled population to the full population for different probabilities of
selection due to different response rates among facilities
and non-response bias. Then final weights were rescaled
to reflect the actual sample size.

Analysis
Both weighted and unweighted analyses were conducted
and because the results were similar, only weighted
results are presented. Unless otherwise indicated, the
significance level used to assess the validity of the null
hypotheses is p < 0.05. Mean and percentages were
estimated based on weighted valid numbers. Respondents were classified into groups according to age, time
to release, and other criteria.