WITHDRAWN Collaborative Reentry: A Qualitative Inquiry

Background and Purpose: The parole system in the United States has become increasingly punitive and a major contributor to mass incarceration. Originally intended to be a less punitive, more rehabilitative alternative to incarceration that aimed to help people successfully reintegrate into their communities after imprisonment, parole has become overly focused on surveillance and control. Parole officers and behavioral health treatment providers serve a vital role for formerly incarcerated individuals who are reentering society, however little is known about the role they play in the reintegration process. Our objective was to obtain an in-depth understanding of key stakeholders’ experiences with parole and their recommendations for improving successful reentry into the community. In this exploratory study, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with parolees, parole officers, and behavioral health providers to explore their experiences of parole and to examine their views of the reentry process.

Methods: Focus groups and qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 stakeholders, including parolees, parole officers, and behavioral health providers. Participants described experiences of supervision, monitoring, and the provision of rehabilitative services for parolees. Participants were recruited using organizational recruitment methods, including snowball sampling, in which participants were invited to participate in the study. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis and research software. A constant comparison method of data analysis was employed.

Results: Data analysis revealed three overarching themes: prioritizing services and supports above surveillance and supervision; tailoring conditions of parole to individualized needs and goals; and the need for coordinated services, support and collaboration between the criminal justice and behavioral health systems. Consistent with literature, our preliminary results suggest that parole reform is important, so as to promote fair and effective practices and enhanced community-based services and supports for parolees reentering society.

Conclusions and Implications: Future studies should explore how aspects of the parole system can be improved for individuals reintegrating into the community. There are significant opportunities for parole reform at the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health treatment systems. Moving towards a rehabilitative model of parole requires providers from both systems to collaborate with each other, and parolees toward improving community services, supports, and transitional opportunities.