And the more post-prison supervision is provided, the greater the chances for successful integration to the community, Petersilia reports. Prisons are mostly about security and control. That's necessarily still the norm, even as opportunities grow in areas such as work, addictions treatment, anger management, volunteer activities and education. It is tricky to ensure safety while giving inmates more scope to make decisions that matter to them. It's tricky also to link their choices to rewards or rebukes that matter to them.
Relapses here occur most often in the first year.
After that, ex-cons tend to do pretty well. That shouts that inmates need more help to prepare for the early shocks of getting out. Giving Corrections the means to prepare inmates for a successful Year One transition would be a smart way for Gov. John Kitzhaber and the Legislature to get tough on crime.