Prison Reform Through Offender Reentry: A Partnership Between Courts and Corrections.

Source: (2004) PACE Law Review. 24: 609-629. Downloaded 14 November 2005.

Prison reform through offender reentry involves a shift
from the historical fragmentation between not only each criminal justice component, but the community as well. All too often each entity has perceived offenders from a past-oriented rather than future-oriented reference point. Although public safety dictates knowledge of past criminal history, reentry cannot succeed in a backward-looking mindset. By the addition of a restorative justice component to reentry, offenders are provided an orientation toward their future by taking responsibility willingly, which in turn, sends a message to the community that offenders are worthy of further support and investment in their reintegration process. In Ohio, for example, the concepts of restorative justice and reentry have become the primary fabrics
of prison reform. (excerpt)