Honors Theses

Advisor

Roger Reeb, Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Publication Date

4-1-2024

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

The U.S. has one of the highest levels of incarceration and recidivism in the world (American Civil Liberties Union, 2022; U.S. Department of Justice, n.d). Several factors contribute to recidivism, including the loss of monetary funds and loss of housing upon incarceration. Homelessness especially predicts recidivism. It has been found to increase the risk of recidivism by almost 50% (Jacobs & Gottlieb, 2020). Within the context of a long-term ongoing participatory community action research Project in homeless shelters (Reeb et al., 2024), this study examined the benefit of reentry support sessions within the homeless shelter environment, with an attempt to overcome barriers in utilizing community resources. In this study, 20 previously incarcerated, unhoused men participated in a reentry support session within St. Vincent De Paul’s Gateway Shelter for Men (Dayton, Ohio). The reentry support session was developed in collaboration with the Montgomery County (Ohio) Office of Reentry. Participants completed a measure of self-efficacy for community reentry at pre- and post-session, followed by a brief interview to identify their plans for obtaining reentry services in the community. In support of Hypothesis 1, it was found that the self-efficacy for coping with community reentry improved from pre- to post-intervention. Consistent with Hypothesis 2, both residents with and residents without a disability benefited from the session at approximately equal levels. Post- session interviews revealed that a majority of residents expressed intentions to obtain additional reentry-related resources.

Permission Statement

This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.

Keywords

Undergraduate research, recidivism, community reentry, homeless, disability, self-efficacy, participatory community action research in homeless shelters


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