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THREAD: The process of reentry after prison or jail is always inordinately difficult. However, during COVID-19, it's gotten much, much worse. (1/7)
People who have been to prison are ~10 times more likely to be homeless than the public. Experiencing homelessness is even more dangerous during a pandemic, since social distancing & hygiene are especially important, and there's a constant risk of being re-arrested. (2/7)
With businesses experiencing economic hardship across the U.S., finding means of income is particularly difficult — especially for the formerly incarcerated, who must overcome the stigma of a criminal record in order to find work. (3/7)
During a pandemic, being uninsured is dangerous. Poor people returning from prison often do not have health insurance, since Medicaid’s “inmate exclusion policy” means that states halt coverage when someone goes to prison, and not all states re-enroll people upon release. (4/7)
People leaving prison who can’t afford cellphones are particularly disadvantaged amid a pandemic, where the vast majority of communication is via phones or the internet. This interferes with parole check-ins, job-seeking, reentry services, and essential family contact. (5/7)
The burden of supervision fees falls on individuals who are least likely to be able to afford it. With the barriers to gaining employment after incarceration stacked higher than ever, the burden of these costs can be disastrous. (6/7)
Read more about how reentry has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how necessary state and local governmental support is to ensuring success after incarceration. (7/7) https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/09/02/covidreentry/
