When prisoners return home to American cities, they may find that their neighborhoods have changed due to gentrification and demographic turnover. This study explores how gentrification and neighborhood change shape the reintegration trajectories of formerly incarcerated men, drawing from interviews with 75 formerly incarcerated men in a city that has gentrified extensively. This project will help us understand the extent to which gentrified and diverse neighborhoods help or hinder returning prisoners' reintegration. Findings will allow us to inform decision-makers on best practices for reintegrating this large and growing population, which will make it less likely that they return to prison.
The interviews are evenly divided between three kinds of neighborhoods: 1) neighborhoods that have experienced demographic change alongside an increase in average income; 2) neighborhoods that have experienced demographic change without changes in average income; and 3) neighborhoods with little demographic or average income change since 1990. Interviews with formerly incarcerated men from these three types of neighborhoods will allow for a comparison of reintegration trajectories across neighborhoods that have experienced different levels and kinds of turnover. These interviews are recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded to assess common themes across the interviews.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
