By Granite State Report
When someone leaves prison, the world outside doesn’t reset to “fresh start.” Instead, they step onto a terrain fraught with hurdles—legal, social, psychological, economic. This article explores the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals—those often pushed to society’s margins—and attempts to map the path, the barriers, and the possibility of transformation.
Introduction
At its heart, reentry—the process of returning to society after incarceration—is at once personal and systemic. Individuals carry their own hopes, trauma, and skills. Society surrounds them with structures of possibility and of constraint. The gap between hope and reality is wide, and the voices who navigate that gap often go unheard.
In the U.S., more than 600,000 people are released from state and federal prisons each year. (Reentry Essentials, Inc.) A large majority of those incarcerated will return to the community at some point. (Reentry Essentials, Inc.) Yet the obstacles they face are many: employment, housing, health, social stigma, legal restrictions. Let’s begin by sketching the scale of the challenge.
The Landscape of Reentry: Statistics & Structural Realities
Understanding the terrain means confronting the numbers.
- More than two-thirds of state prisoners are rearrested within 3 years of release; roughly half are reincarcerated. (Reentry Essentials, Inc.)
- Reentry intersects multiple domains—livelihood, residence, family, health, justice compliance, and social connections. (SC-UMT)
- Research frames reentry as a “continuum” starting from intake, into programming, release planning, supervision, and community reintegration. (National Institute of Justice)
- Legal and social “collateral consequences” (e.g., criminal record restrictions) can persist long after sentence completion. (Prison Policy Initiative)
These aren’t just dry data—they are signposts of lives in motion, of hopes entangled with systemic constraints.
Barriers on the Path: The Everyday Realities
Here we inhabit the experience. Below are major zones of difficulty.
Employment and Economic Stability
For many, securing meaningful employment is the first and most daunting gate. A criminal record tends to limit opportunities; employers may hesitate, licensing may be blocked; skills may be out of date.
As one resource puts it: “A criminal record can make life after prison challenging… affecting employment, housing, education, and social reintegration.” (InmateAid)
Another succinct summary: “Reentry is complex, multi-faceted”–employment is one of the key components. (UNLV)
Housing, Community, and Stability
Not having a safe, stable place to live = a huge risk factor. Many formerly incarcerated people face housing restrictions (public housing bans for certain convictions), private-sector landlords who screen records, or simply the financial burden of reentry.
Housing instability undercuts everything else: work, health, family relations, sense of place.
Health, Trauma & Substance Use
The prison experience often leaves scars—mental health issues, substance-use disorders, chronic illness. On release, those issues don’t vanish; they may intensify.
The American Psychological Association observes that reentry programs that connect individuals to mental-health and social support services help ease the transition. (American Psychological Association)
Family & Social Relationships
Reentry doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Formerly incarcerated people often return to changed family dynamics—children grown up, partners moved on, communities skeptical. Rebuilding trust is part of the journey.
Legal & Civic Consequences
Felony convictions can restrict voting rights, access to professional licenses, eligibility for public housing or federal aid. (InmateAid)
Stigma and Identity
“Just because I’m out doesn’t mean I’m free” encapsulates this. The label “ex-offender” follows people. Internalizing or resisting that identity is a psychological battle.
Voices of Reentry: Stories of Resilience
To ground data in human terms, here are some stories.
How to Succeed After Prison: Post‑Incarceration Success Stories
(This YouTube video shares the story of “Chris,” who rebuilt life after incarceration.)
Another clip:
Reentry After Prison: Finding Hope & Overcoming Struggles
And one more:
Claiming life back: A reentry story (EXTENDED CUT)
From the New Hampshire context: “A little over four years ago, I was released from a federal institution after serving nearly seven years of a ten-year sentence… I left behind both painful and happy memories.” — from an article quoting reentry advocate Anthony Payton. (InDepthNH.org)
These narratives show that despite barriers, meaningful transformation happens. But it’s uneven, fragile, and rarely linear.
Why Some Succeed (And Some Don’t)
What differentiates the trajectories? It’s common to find factors such as:
- Robust pre-release planning (case management, skills training)
- Access to stable housing and employment soon after release
- Strong community and family support
- Addressing mental health or substance-use needs
- Legal reforms (expungement, second-chance policies)
From the research: “Barriers to successful re-entry … focus on employment, health, housing, and social networks.” (UNLV)
Research also points out that simply releasing someone without a plan is not enough—and may even set them up for failure. (Center for Justice Research)
Context Matters: Race, Region, and Structural Inequities
We must not ignore that reentry outcomes are heavily shaped by race, geography, and the local economy.
Researchers observing racial and ethnic disparities in reentry outcomes argue that reentry must be part of a broader racial justice agenda. (Center for Justice Research)
For example, neighborhoods with concentrated incarceration histories (such as certain ZIP codes) experience generational cycles. (Wikipedia)
In New Hampshire and similar states with rural and semi-rural communities, the challenges may include limited job markets, transportation issues, social isolation. The one-size model borrowed from large metro areas may not fit perfectly.
What Works: Policies, Programs, & Innovations
Let’s highlight some promising strategies.
The Second Chance Act of 2007 (USA)
This federal law supports job training, housing, substance-abuse treatment, family programming for people returning from prison. (Wikipedia)
Pre-Release Planning + Post-Release Support
The U.S. Department of Justice notes reentry as a continuum—from risk/needs assessment → programming → release planning → supervision → community integration. (National Institute of Justice)
Innovative Vocational Training
A recent example: A Chicago-based program uses VR job-training for formerly incarcerated individuals to equip them with practical skills and confidence. (Axios)
Mentoring & Peer Support
Programmes that pair people who have been through incarceration with those just released help create trust, share knowledge of the “hidden rules,” and bridge social isolation. (American Psychological Association)
Housing First Models
Secure housing early on is a stabilizing anchor. Some programs integrate rental subsidies, transitional housing, wraparound support.
Record Expungement / “Clean Slate” Initiatives
Removing or sealing a public record of a conviction can reduce one of the major barriers to work and housing. (InmateAid)
Challenges & Critiques: Things We Still Get Wrong
Even with promising signs, many aspects of reentry policy and practice still falter. Here are some of the tougher questions.
- Timing matters. Delays in engaging former inmates with services (even days/weeks) can increase risk of relapse or re-offending.
- “Surveillance vs. Support” tension. Sometimes supervision methods (probation, parole) emphasize monitoring and punishment rather than empowerment.
- Fragmented services. Health, employment, housing, justice systems often operate in silos, creating gaps in continuity of care.
- Stigma remains powerful. Transporting the label “ex-offender” means everyday discrimination—behind the scenes.
- Local economies. In places with limited job markets, even well-intentioned programs struggle. Rural areas, small towns may lack scale.
- Data gaps. As one paper notes, “virtually all of the research” on reentry is collated but still incomplete. (Prison Policy Initiative)
Spotlight: New Hampshire & Rural Reentry Realities
Although much of the national research focuses on urban areas, rural states like New Hampshire have their own dynamics.
- Transportation and mobility may be weaker; job opportunities more constrained.
- Community relations may be tight-knit, which can mean more scrutiny or more support—depending on context.
- The article “Life after Prison: Navigating the Challenges of Reentering Society” from New Hampshire’s InDepthNH highlights a releasee coming home with “a gym bag of photos and memories of years missed.” (InDepthNH.org)
For the Granite State Report audience, considering the rural and semi-rural dimension is key. What does it mean to return, in a place where “everyone knows someone” who knows someone who was behind bars?
The Human Cost of Failure & the Promise of Success
When reentry fails, it’s not just an individual setback—it ripples out with social, economic, moral consequences.
- Societal cost: high rates of recidivism mean more victims, greater criminal‐justice expenditures. (Reentry Essentials, Inc.)
- Family cost: children of incarcerated parents face educational and emotional disruptions; communities become destabilized.
- Moral cost: If we believe in redemption, citizenship, second chances, failure to support reentry challenges that belief.
At the same time, success stories matter—not because they erase the structural obstacles, but because they show what is possible. They humanize metrics, offer hope, and illustrate what mixes of policy + personal effort + community support can accomplish.
Three first-person stories from New Hampshire and nearby
1. Anthony Payton — Reentry in New Hampshire
Key points:
- Payton served nearly seven years of a ten-year federal sentence; he was released, returned to New Hampshire and became a reentry advocate. (InDepthNH.org)
- He describes leaving prison “with a gym bag of photos and memories of years missed.” (NH Center for Justice & Equity)
- He highlights mental-health issues, trauma from incarceration (e.g., “It took me some time to feel comfortable eating with my back toward any doors”) and the importance of mindset shift. (InDepthNH.org)
- He points out the arbitrariness of supervision/probation outcomes (“chance of … being assigned to helpful supervision is purely the luck of the draw”). (InDepthNH.org)
2. Joseph Lascaze and Evenor Pineda — Voices from Reentry in NH
Key points: From the article by the New Hampshire Bar Association (NHBA):
- Lascaze served more than 13 years in the New Hampshire State Prison (NHSP) for armed robbery; released in 2019. (NHBA)
- Pineda served 15 years of an 18-year sentence and was released in 2020; he now works with the Manchester Police Athletic League as program coordinator for at-risk youth. (NHBA)
- They speak to challenges such as employment offers revoked (Lascaze’s Amazon offer rescinded after background check). (NHBA)
- Housing & transitional housing issues are also covered. (NHBA)
3. Programmatic Perspective: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services / New Hampshire Department of Corrections – The Systems Side
Key points:
- NH launched a “Community Re-entry” program under a federal 1115 waiver effective Jan 1 2025 for adults & youth, aimed at coordinating health care, peer support 45 days prior to release. (NH Health and Human Services)
- The NH DOC page describes that the Division of Rehabilitative Services begins reentry preparation while still incarcerated: education, training, transitional housing units, job-shadowing, etc. (New Hampshire Department of Corrections)
- The NH Center for Justice & Equity and InDepthNH piece also reflects that supervision violations (60 % of prison admissions) underscore weak post-release support. (NH Center for Justice & Equity)
Toward a Vision: What an Equitable Reentry System Could Look Like
Here’s a working hypothesis of what we should aim for (and beware: this is aspirational, not guaranteed).
- Early and continuous planning: During incarceration, individuals access educational, vocational, and mental-health support; release planning begins well before the gates open.
- Seamless transitions: On release, there is a “hand-off” to community-based support agencies; immediate access to housing, job coaching, healthcare.
- Community integration: Support systems that are local, culturally competent, trauma-aware, and rooted in social networks.
- Legal barriers addressed: Expungement laws, licensing restrictions, employment discrimination mitigation.
- Systemic feedback loops: Data collection, evaluation, adaptive programs that take context into account (urban vs rural, demographics, industry).
- Narrative change: Broader society recognizes the value of second chances, reduces stigma, and invests in formerly incarcerated people not as “risks” but as contributors.
- Economic investment: Job markets that include inclusive hiring practices; housing markets that accommodate the formerly incarcerated; policies that support restorative justice.
Recommendations for Granite State Context
For New Hampshire and similar states, here are some targeted suggestions:
- Map local job sectors: Identify employers open to “second-chance” hiring; link vocational programs to these pipelines.
- Strengthen transportation support: Rural cases often struggle with mobility; peer networks or subsidized transport can matter.
- Expand housing options: Work with landlords, local housing authorities and nonprofits to create transitional housing pathways.
- Create “buddy” or mentoring networks: Formerly incarcerated individuals who succeeded could mentor newcomers—reducing isolation.
- Awareness campaigns: Combat stigma in smaller communities through public education, highlighting stories of reintegration.
- Collaborate across systems: Healthcare, employment, justice, housing need to coordinate—not operate in silos.
- Monitor outcomes & iterate: Data collection on reentry outcomes within the state to learn what works locally.
- Support for families: Recognize that reentry affects entire households; provide family-centered support.
Closing Reflections
Life after incarceration is less “finish line” than “next obstacle course.” The finish line isn’t freedom from prison; the finish line is meaningful participation in society—with stability, dignity, purpose.
Yet for many, the starting line is already weighted. Structural barriers, stigma, and trauma all impose extra weight. The voices from the margins—those returning, rebuilding—remind us that society’s investment in them is also an investment in all of us.
If we believe in justice, fairness, second chances, then reentry work isn’t optional—it’s essential. And if we believe in knowledge and evidence, then listening to these voices, measuring the outcomes, adapting the systems, becomes imperative. The terrain is complex. The stakes are high. The opportunity is real.
References
- “The Challenges of Prisoner Re-Entry Into Society.” Simmons University online. (SC-UMT)
- “Reentry and Recidivism.” Prison Policy Initiative. (Prison Policy Initiative)
- “Barriers to Successful Re-Entry.” University of Nevada, Las Vegas. (UNLV)
- “Five Things About Reentry.” National Institute of Justice. (National Institute of Justice)
- “Life After Prison: Navigating the Challenges of Reentering Society.” Independent NH. (InDepthNH.org)
- “Life After Prison: How a Criminal Record Impacts Employment, Housing and Reentry.” InmateAid. (InmateAid)
- “Rethinking Prisoner Reentry.” Center for Justice Research. (Center for Justice Research)
- Additional YouTube videos as noted above.
