Reentry Education Tool Kit

Transition Processes

Guidelines

Reentry education providers should work closely with their partners to assess students' needs and risks, identify services and support needed, and develop a service delivery schedule that takes into account various transition points. Specific approaches to easing transitions may depend on whether a provider is working with a prison, jail, or in the community.

Transitions Into and Out of Prisons

Prison-based providers should create a structured intake and prerelease process that includes:

  • Assessing students' knowledge, skills, and occupational interests.
  • Engaging students in creating an education and career plan.
  • Determining students' eligibility for and the timing of education services.
  • Referring students to community-based programs.
  • Sharing data with community partners to prepare for a student's release.

Transitions Into and Out of Jails

With little time or notice to help students prepare for release, jail-based providers should focus on making program referrals and strengthening partnerships with community services to facilitate students' transition into the community.

Transitions in the Community

Community-based providers may serve students who have had varied experiences with the criminal justice system. Providers therefore should create a flexible approach to verify students' education record, administer assessments, create an education and career plan, and direct students to appropriate services.

Tools

Framework from Student Perspective

This illustration shows how students in the corrections system can progress through their education path as their correctional status changes.

Reentry Education Programs and Criminogenic Needs

This tool provides a template to help programs address participants' criminogenic needs by mapping program elements and proposed enhancements to four categories of criminogenic needs.

Resources