A Point-In-Time Survey of State Department of Corrections Prison-based Programming

Research indicates that providing services to incarcerated individuals increases the chance that they will be successful upon reentry to communities. The current study assessed the provision of services (i.e. trauma and reentry) in state departments of corrections (DOCs) throughout the United States. DOCs from all fifty states and the District of Columbia were contacted to determine what services were provided to prisoners, with 44 of 51 providing responses. Results suggest that DOCs provide a range of programming, as well as assessments. Future research should explore the quality and effectiveness of programming and the capacity of existing efforts to meet the growing numbers of people releasing from prison.