"It was there when I came home": young adults and jail reentry in the context of COVID-19

In this study, the authors explore how young adults navigated the dual challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and jail reentry in a large urban environment. Fifteen young adults (aged 18-25) participated in up to nine monthly semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences of reentry during the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abrams, Laura S. (Author)
Contributors: Reed, Taylor A. ; Bondoc, Christopher ; Acosta, Desiree R. ; Murillo, Mary ; Barnert, Elizabeth S.
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2023, Volume: 48, Issue: 3, Pages: 767-785
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Covid-19
Incarceration
Jail
Probation
Reentry
Young adults
Description
Summary:In this study, the authors explore how young adults navigated the dual challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and jail reentry in a large urban environment. Fifteen young adults (aged 18-25) participated in up to nine monthly semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences of reentry during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., spring and summer 2020). Participants held mixed attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19. Several participants viewed the pandemic as a hoax, while others took the pandemic more seriously, particularly if their friends and family members had contracted the virus. Yet nearly all participants viewed the pandemic as having a relatively minimal impact on their lives compared to the weight of their reentry challenges and probation requirements. Young adults described COVID-19 stay-at-home orders as limiting their exposure to negative influences and facilitating compliance with probation requirements. However, resource closures due to COVID-19, including schools, employment programs, and social services presented barriers to reentry success. The authors draw upon these findings to pose implications for interventions supporting young adult reentry.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/s12103-022-09683-8