ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a number of issues associated with offender reentry in rural areas from three perspectives: offenders, treatment and program staff, and county probation and parole officers. The theoretical framework used to explore the problems associated with rural reentry is derived from Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory and Francis Cullen's social support framework. Wodahl proposes that a rural perspective in reentry research is necessary and that the experiences individuals have when returning to rural areas differ from those in urban settings in important ways. Jail reentry programs have been evaluated in urban areas such as New York, Pittsburgh, Boulder, and Boston with varied levels of success. In order to understand the extent of the services provided to offenders returning to rural areas, semi-structured interviews with treatment practitioners serving in a reentry role were utilized. The chapter also presents some key concepts of this book.
