Mapping Prisoner Reentry: An Action Research Guidebook

The Reentry Mapping Network (RMN) was established by the Urban Institute and is a group of jurisdictions applying a data-driven, spatial approach to prisoner reentry. The goal of the RMN includes: (1) to develop a better understanding of the dynamics and correlates of prisoner reentry at the local level; (2) to engage local stakeholders and practitioners in developing strategies to address reentry-related challenges; (3) to facilitate greater coordination and collaboration among State and local agencies and organizations around this work; and (4) to promote peer learning on how communities can use data to identify and address incarceration and reentry-related challenges. This report supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is presented as a guidebook in order to describe the methods underlying the RMN so that other jurisdictions can learn and replicate their efforts. The lessons learned are derived from the three RMN partners funded by the NIJ and include: Washington, DC, Winston-Salem, NC, and Milwaukee, WI. The report begins by outlining the history and key concepts of mapping prisoner reentry, as well as describing the origins of the RMN and how the network operates. Key recommendations for each step of the reentry mapping process are presented. The steps include: identifying stakeholders, setting research priorities and identifying key issues, obtaining corrections data, obtaining contextual data, creating maps, sharing maps with stakeholders, using analysis results to inform action, and creating a sustainable reentry mapping partnership. All three sites found that a commitment to building relationships with key stakeholders can yield benefits through all phases of the project helping reentry mapping partnerships achieve their goals. Figures and appendixes A-D