Items under Reentry

College After Prison: A Review of the Literature on Barriers and Supports to Postsecondary Education for Formerly Incarcerated College Students

The white paper was co-authored by Vernisa M. Donaldson and Christopher Viera of the City University of New York (CUNY) Office of Research, Evaluation, and Program Support (REPS) as part of their contracted evaluation of College Initiative. The white paper synthesizes existing literature around higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals and describes the need for more work in this area.

Getting the Record Straight: A Guide to Navigating Background Checks

This guide is designed to help people with conviction records navigate the individual, institutional, and systemic barriers erected by background checks. It is common for people to feel nervous or stigmatized when going through a background check. Preparing in advance can help the experience become less intimidating. This guide will help readers understand what appears on a conviction record, prepare for a background check, be ready to respond to questions, and more.

New York State Back to School Guide: Pursuing College After Incarceration

The New York State Back to School Guide is written for people who wish to pursue a college education in New York State after their release from incarceration. Its core purpose is to help readers develop a thoughtful and practical academic reentry plan to advance personal and professional goals. Additionally, this resource will be useful to college-in-prison providers, correctional education and counseling staff, community-based reentry organizations, and case managers seeking to support the educational goals of the adult learners with whom they work.

Mapping the City University of New York

Mapping the City University of New York: The University’s Commitment to Students Impacted by the Criminal Legal System details the scope of CUNY’s policies and programs for students impacted by the criminal legal system and explores opportunities for CUNY to better support those students.

Is College For Me?

Is College For Me? is a a pocket-sized fold out designed in collaboration with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) that demystifies the process of enrolling in college. The colorful resource explains the various types of degrees, schools, and resources available to students. Is College For Me? also breaks down the steps students can take while in still in prison and after coming home.

Housing for the Justice-Involved: The Case for County Action

Finding safe and affordable housing is crucial to their successful reentry, but is all too often a major challenge for justice-involved individuals. By encouraging innovative budgeting, collaboration across agencies, and the development of cutting-edge social services, PRI and the National Association of Counties (NACo) are laying the foundations for effective county action on reentry housing.

A Place to Call Home

This report makes the case of providing dignified housing that meets the needs of those with criminal justice histories, and providing it as quickly as possible upon reentry.

Higher Education and Reentry: The Gifts They Bring

This Participatory Action Research study, conducted by Michelle Fine, Alexis Halkovic (CUNY Graduate Center) and a team of research assistants, explores the lived experiences of people with criminal justice histories as they attend and contemplate enrolling in college.