ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the perceived challenges rural jail offenders confront upon returning to their communities. These challenges were based on the perceptions of three different stakeholders in the reentry process: the inmates, parole/probation officers, and treatment staff. Inmates, treatment staff, and probation/parole officers identified challenges associated with employment, housing, transportation, acquaintance density, substance abuse, and mental health care. The abuse issue of mental health treatment could be solved through state policy. Transportation, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment have been identified as problems in rural western Pennsylvania, but more comparative studies can identify if these challenges are rural specific and if there are different challenges in other locations. The chapter considers the framework of Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory of informal social control and Cullen's explanation of social support. Housing, employment, family and social support, and substance abuse counseling were among the major challenges identified by community corrections officers, inmates, and community service providers.
