Research suggests a number of barriers to successful reentry for justice-involved individuals, even after a short period of detention in jail. The challenges are well-documented, with housing being one of the most salient needs returning citizens face (Lutze et al., 2014; O’Brien, 2001; Roman and Travis, 2004). Estimates of housing instability and homelessness vary widely (Metraux & Culhane, 2006; Schlay & Rossi, 1992) as those incarcerated and those who are homeless are considered “hard-to-reach” populations (Umamaheswar, 2018). This is important as housing instability can have direct consequences for reoffending behavior, and stable housing has been shown to reduce recidivism (Bobashev et al., 2009; Lutze et al., 2014; Metraux & Culhane, 2004; Steiner et al., 2015). The current study employs a unique sample of male and female inmates in a jail reentry program to examine the prevalence of housing instability and the circumstances that led to said housing issues. This study fills a gap in the previous literature by making a distinction among those who are more stably housed, precariously housed, and literally homeless. We discuss the consequences of housing instability as well as important policy implications for this population.

研究表明，即使在监狱短期拘留之后，参与司法的个人成功重返社会仍存在许多障碍。这些挑战是有据可查的，住房是回国公民面临的最突出的需求之一（Lutze 等人，2014 年；O'Brien，2001 年；Roman 和 Travis，2004 年）。对住房不稳定和无家可归的估计差异很大（Metraux & Culhane，2006；Schlay & Rossi，1992），因为被监禁者和无家可归者被认为是“难以接触”的人群（Umamaheswar，2018）。这一点很重要，因为住房不稳定可能对再犯罪行为产生直接后果，而且稳定的住房已被证明可以减少累犯（Bobashev 等人，2009 年；Lutze 等人，2014 年；Metraux 和 Culhane，2004 年；Steiner 等人，2015 年） ）。目前的研究采用了监狱重返计划中男性和女性囚犯的独特样本，以检查住房不稳定的普遍程度以及导致上述住房问题的情况。这项研究通过区分那些住房更稳定、住房不稳定和实际上无家可归的人，填补了之前文献的空白。我们讨论住房不稳定的后果以及对这一人群的重要政策影响。