Jonathan Morgan explains why saying “reentry begins at arrest” is actually wrong

Jonathan Morgan (Leading with Conviction™ 2022) writes, “For years, I’ve heard people say that reentry begins at arrest. You’ve probably heard it too. It’s a phrase meant to inspire early support for people in the criminal justice system. The only problem is that it is wrong.

“The more I worked in this space, the more I saw the damage that phrase caused. When we call everything ‘reentry,’ we lose sight of what truly helps people succeed once they walk out of prison. The truth is that reentry begins far later, right before release from incarceration, when people finally have the chance to plan for freedom.

When we call everything “reentry,” we lose sight of what truly helps people succeed …

“Understanding that reentry, rehabilitation, and reintegration are unique concepts with different goals is vital to providing effective services. Getting that simple truth right could change how we build programs and fund reform.

“Over the past two decades, organizations from the U.S. Department of Justice to state reentry councils have embraced the idea that ‘reentry begins at arrest.’ Reports, training materials, and conferences have repeated it so often that it has become accepted wisdom (Collateral Consequences Resource Center, Shriver Center, and Urban Institute).

“The intention behind it is good: encourage early intervention, highlight continuity of care, and remind practitioners that the reentry process should not begin on the day of release. But in practice, this phrase confuses timelines, mixes concepts, and blurs accountability across systems.

“When everything becomes ‘reentry,’ the term loses meaning. And when language loses meaning, programs lose focus.

“To understand the problem, we need to separate three related but distinct processes that are often lumped together.

• Reintegration – The process of rebuilding social ties, restoring identity, and being accepted again as a full member of the community.

 

• Rehabilitation – The process of helping people change behavior, build skills, and address the underlying causes of engaging in criminal behavior. It includes education, treatment, and therapy.

 

• Reentry – The transition from incarceration back into the community. It focuses on practical needs such as housing, identification, healthcare, and employment.

“As top researchers like Joan Petersilia, Daniel Mears, Joshua Cochran, Francis Cullen, and Mark Lipsey have shown, reentry specifically refers to the moment of transition. It cannot logically begin at arrest because at that point, there is no release to prepare for and no certainty about the outcome of the case.”

Read the rest of the article on Jonathan’s Medium blog.