Halfway Houses

In 2016 there were a total of 4,537,100 individuals under community supervision in the United States, which equated to 1 in every 55 adults. This number included individuals who resided in halfway houses. Two-thirds of ex-offenders often recidivate within three years after being released from prison. Halfway houses have served many released and soon-to-be released prisoners, with the intention of rehabilitating and preparing them for successful reintegration back into society. Having undergone several name changes, halfway houses have been present for centuries within the United States. Since its creation, the halfway house has served as a bridge between imprisonment and society, where offenders are discharged to designated community residences before being released back into society. These centers serve people who do not need the confinement of an institution, yet are not ready for independent community living. Originally, these centers were created to serve as an alternative to incarceration for target populations within the United States. The goal was to help participants become law-abiding citizens through transitional housing, thus decreasing recidivism. Typically, halfway houses collaborate with nonprofit organizations, human service agencies, and other community services to provide education, counseling, 24-hour rehabilitative and residential services, and the like. These centers place an increased responsibility on the individual to determine how to balance life after incarceration. The term halfway houses emerged in the 1950s after being referred to as transitional housing years before, and most recently as offender reentry centers in some circles. They play a major role in the process of former inmates reentering society. Since the 1950s there has been an increased interest in these facilities and their utilization. They gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s after the emergence of the concept of “residential continuum.” Determining whether such centers have a positive effect on offenders’ reintegration into the community remains deeply contested. Traditionally and contemporarily, halfway houses are not always welcomed in neighborhoods, as local community members often fear an increase in crime. Few studies have provided data on the impact halfway houses make on communities, however. While this remains a dilemma for scholars studying halfway houses and their impact on the larger community, there are publications that have laid the foundation for further research. The focus of this article is on halfway houses that provide transitional housing rather than those facilities that provide longer-term or indefinite residency.