"Working to
Build A Better Community"
"The
probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not deter us from the
support of a cause we believe to be just."
~ Abraham Lincoln
EX-OFFENDER HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
THE BIG PICTURE: REALITY IN THE U.S.
THE REALITY IN MASSACHUSETTS
Current
Re-entry Programs
Sample Re-entry Pathways
Recidivism
Homelessness
Social/Legal
Barriers
Personal Barriers
THE LAW IN MASSACHUSETTS
COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN
MASSACHUSETTS
PROGRAMS IN OTHER STATES
SAMPLE RE-ENTRY PATHWAY IN MASSACHUSETTS
▼WITHIN
THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM /
▼PRE-RELEASE
PROGRAMS /
▼RELEASE
/ ▼HOUSING
/ ▼SUMMARY
/ GLOSSARY
Within the Correctional
System
Once an inmate in a correctional facility
nears the end of his or her term of imprisonment, he or she may need assistance
determining where he or she will live once released. At the
Suffolk County House of Corrections
(HOC), a facility designated for inmates with prison terms of 2.5 years or
less, inmates can request to meet with a discharge planner who will help
them determine a housing plan before release from the facility. There is
only one discharge planner for the entire facility which houses an average
of 2,000 inmates. The discharge planner will assess the needs of the inmate
and make referrals to appropriate substance abuse programs, half-way houses,
or in many cases, when nothing else is available, to local homeless
shelters. Once an ex-offender is referred to one such place, there is
little follow-up and even less data tracking as to where ex-offenders go
after their initial placements.
Some fortunate inmates are accepted into in-house programs that will then further assist them with the re-entry process. At the Suffolk County HOC, the Offender Re-entry Program (ORP) provides an 8-week pre-release re-integrative program for 18 inmates. The program includes classes on general education, life and job skills. The program also provides six months of follow-up with participating ex-offenders. Though specific tracking data is not available, as of March 2004, the ORP director reflected that she is seeing that program success rates higher than average recidivism rates in Massachusetts. The ORP’s grant funding expires in August of 2004. Given the program’s current budgetary constraints, its future is in limbo.
Release
Upon release
from prison, an ex-offender may return to his or her prior community or an
entirely new one. The ex-offender may attend a program of his or her own volition, or
will do so as required by
the terms of his or her parole. Released ex-offenders may also go to a
half-way house, or land in a homeless shelter. If an ex-offender is
attracted to increased stability in his or her life, he or she may set
his or her sights on getting a
room or an apartment of his or her own. In this case, having a job and savings
to cover move-in costs and initial rent are generally pre-requisites. Most
ex-offenders who seek their own place cannot afford an apartment on the
private market, so they rely on affordable housing options available through
state or federal funding. Some may also stay in Single Room Occupancies
(SRO), such as the YMCA, if the ex-offender's budget and the facility's availability allow. It is at
this stage of an ex-offender’s housing search that his or her criminal record
becomes the limiting factor. For more information criminal record laws in
Massachusetts, please
click here.
HOUSING
Public Housing
Based on
applicable state or federal guidelines, Public Housing Authorities as well
as those who manage privately developed subsidized
housing complexes can
access criminal records and base their decision to accept or deny an
applicant on the existence or the content of a criminal record (CORI).
Though proper
|
..the general understanding is that a CORI will be a major debilitating factor in getting publicly funded housing. |
notification and appeals processes are available to applicants who are denied housing through these means, the general understanding is that a CORI will be a major debilitating factor in getting publicly funded housing. Though an appeal may result in a favorable outcome for an ex-offender, ex-offenders are typically dependent on advocates to support them through the appeals process. There are currently not enough such advocates available to support the ex-offenders in making their appeals. For more information on the application of CORI laws in Massachusetts, click here.
Private Housing
Market
On the private housing market,
landlords who use the standard Rental Housing Association application form ask
applicants if they have a criminal record. Data derived from interviews
with area landlords suggest that most would deny an applicant who answered
in the affirmative. Unlike Housing Authorities, private landlords are not
required to provide an appeals process. Though softness in the Boston
rental market has resulted in reduced rents and greater landlord
flexibility, market rents are still far from affordable, particularly for an
ex-offender who does not have a high paying job.
Summary
The lack of
longitudinal quantitative or ethnographic data on ex-offender re-entry adds
to the challenge of describing hurdles and diverse pathways that
characterize ex-offender re-entry. This is particularly true in regard to
accessing short-term and permanent housing. The research that is available
suggests that most inmates are not involved in comprehensive rehabilitative
programs and embark on the re-entry process without adequate skills, tools,
and support systems. Advocates and service providers in the field suggest
that this program shortfall increases the chances of
recidivism
among ex-offenders. Though many of the existing programs help participating
inmates with their re-entry process, there are simply not enough of these
programs to have a broader impact on the general population of inmates ready
to transition to post-prison life in mainstream society.