From Cell to Street: A Plan to Supervise Inmates after Release

The fact that most prisoners eventually leave prison and return to the community has largely gone unnoticed in public discourse. Over the past 25 years, as part of the fight against crime, the federal government and many states enacted a number of changes to sentencing laws to make certain that people serve longer sentences behind bars. One consequence of some of these laws is an increasing proportion of released inmates having no criminal justice supervision following release. In some cases, the most serious offenders are the least likely to be supervised. This report analyzes the issues involved in designing a system of post-incarceration supervision, including who should be supervised and what form supervision should take. The analysis focuses on the correctional system in Massachusetts, and offers recommendations to improve practice.