Prisoner's Family and Reentry

For prisoners returning to the community, families often represent both an invaluable reentry asset and a potential source of tremendous detrimental pressure. Returning prisoners commonly rely on family to overcome initial reentry obstacles. For [Page 326]instance, prisoners' families routinely provide their newly released loved ones housing, a job, and financial support. However, while many families are assuredly elated when one of their members returns from a period of incarceration, there are also several struggles that plague the reconnected familial unit. Many former prisoners often return to live with family members who have had to endure significant financial and emotional strains during the returning prisoner's incarceration. In addition, former prisoners are typically in financial disarray upon release, prompting them to perhaps unrealistically expect family members to fund a lengthy period of readjustment. Finally, most former prisoners are subject to the rules and regulations of supervised release. Such restrictions are usually burdensome, leading some families to question their decision to house a family member just home from jail or prison.