Description

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Can the common criminal get a fresh start

An essential resource for former convicts and their families post-incarceration.

The United States has the largest criminal justice system in the world, with currently over 7 million adults and juveniles in jail, prison, or community custody. Because they spend enough time in prison to disrupt their connections to their families and their communities, they are not prepared for the difficult and often life-threatening process of reentry. As a result, the percentage of these people who return to a life of crime and additional prison time escalates each year. Beyond Bars is the most current, practical, and comprehensive guide for ex-convicts and their families about managing a successful reentry into the community and includes:

*Tips on how to prepare for release while still in Prison
*Ways to deal with family members, especially spouses and children
*Finding a job
*Money issues such as budgets, bank accounts, taxes, and debt
*Avoiding drugs and other illicit activities
*Free resources to rely on for support

About the Author

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Jeffrey Ross, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice at the University of Baltimore and a visiting professor of criminology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany. In 2003, he was the recipient of the University of Baltimore's Distinguished Chair in Reseach Award. Ross also worked as a social science analyst in a division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1995 to 1998.

Stephen C. Richards, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice and the author of several books and articles. He is one of the founders of the New School of Convict Criminology. Richards earned a BS degree in sociology while serving a nine-year sentence in a federal prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. After his release, he earned an MA in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a PhD in sociology at Iowa State University. Richards is also a Soros Senior Justice Fellow.