How do prisoners deal with society after their freedom? Do they encounter social issues? What is reintegration? Reintegration is the support and assistance provided to prisoners upon their release from jail. Reintegration often starts when the offender is arrested by preparing them to deal with life and society following imprisonment. In order to achieve reintegration, programs and processes aim to keep prisoners away from the criminal justice system following their release. For example, in prison, inmates are often directed to restorative justice procedures or appropriate therapy to learn how to deal with normal life again.
The process of reintegration may take place gradually or immediately. In the case of gradual social reintegration, prisoners may complete the remaining year of their sentences in halfway houses or in-home custody. Gradual social reintegration is often recognized in the case of paroled inmates. Immediate social integration is recognized in sentence expiration where a prisoner has completed the overall length of his or her prison sentence, and the correctional system no longer has the legal authority to detain them.