Finding a Path to Financial Security and Self-Sufficiency: An Asset-Based Analysis of Re-Entry Programming

Former offenders face a variety of barriers to successful re-integration into society, particularly in the areas of labor market prospects, debt obligations, and public policy. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of several in-prison and community-based re-entry programs to determine their potential for improving financial outcomes for this population. The analysis uses an asset-based framework, identifying promising program features that help participants build financial, human, and social capital. These features include preparation for and intervention in the labor market, helping participants build a foundation of financial assets, and approaches that integrate services and leverage multiple assets simultaneously. The paper concludes that given the many mutually reinforcing barriers former offenders face to financial well-being, programs would do well to expand financial asset-building features and expand their often narrow focus to encompass multiple asset-building approaches. They must also make an improved case for their cost-effectiveness in order to ensure their survival and provide for future implementation on a larger scale.