The evidence behind reentry that lasts

Ninety-five percent of incarcerated individuals eventually return to their communities. Without coordinated support, roughly half return to prison within three years — at staggering cost to families, public safety, and the public purse. The drivers are predictable: addiction, housing instability, unemployment, and family disconnection.

Housing is the foundation

The first 48 hours to the first months after release are the highest-risk window. A safe, supervised place to stay removes the immediate crises — homelessness and relapse — that derail everything else. That is why NexxSteps treats detox and safe housing as the starting point, not the reward.

Transportation keeps people on track

Roughly one in three people report trouble accessing a car for work or emergencies, and one in four struggle with public transit. Reliable rides to treatment, work, and appointments — plus help restoring a driver license, Social Security card, and insurance — keep momentum alive.

Treatment and benefits continuity

Immediate access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or counseling reduces substance relapse in a majority of studies, and therapeutic communities with post-release linkage dramatically lower return-to-custody rates. Rapid Medicaid/SSI restoration keeps medication and care uninterrupted.

Family is the strongest predictor

Strong family support is associated with 13–53% better outcomes. Rebuilding communication, accountability, and trust is not a soft add-on — it is among the most powerful, evidence-backed levers for preventing reincarceration.

Skills turn a fresh start into a livelihood

Vocational training and entrepreneurship mentoring — from barbering and building trades to licensing and business basics — convert release into sustainable, dignified work and keep graduates connected for life.