Beat the Odds

Each year 650,000 prisoners will return to their home states from federal and state incarceration. For these ex-offenders, the ability to find and keep employment is essential to their successful transition from incarceration to a life of freedom. Many return without jobs or stable homes. Most return without the necessary knowledge and resources to find and keep a job. Although several thousands of dollars are spent each year in pre-release education classes, these classes are often uneven in quality and design and ex-offenders are often forced to wade through a litany of conflicting information as they try to find employment. Libraries are filled with books, journal articles, and reports about the ex-offender. But, unfortunately, very little information is addressed directly to ex-offenders in an attempt to offer them the tools, resources, and knowledge that are essential for their success. If we are to assist these ex-offenders to become productive members of society, it will be necessary to take a multi-faceted approach to address the issues associated with successful re-entry. All who are involved with any and all aspects of the prisoner re-entry process will benefit from the practical information contained in this book. The includes ex-offenders, prison and jail re-entry programs, agencies that specialize in prison re-entry, juvenile detention centers, probation offices, social services agencies and other government agencies. The book is written in a simple and concise language that can be understood by people of various educational levels. Its comments are specifically directed to the ex-offender.