The Community Building among Older Men Returning from Incarceration: The Cumberland House Reentry Project (CHRP) was recently awarded $328,037 by The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Aging. Over fifty years of punitive criminal justice policies have created a growing population of older incarcerated individuals who are now eligible for community release but lack the social or economic capital to rebuild their lives. This study will evaluate a novel peer-run program based on network principles to help older, previously incarcerated men transition from prison to the community. This project is led by Derek Kreager, former CJRC Director and Liberal Arts Professor of Sociology and Criminology. Additional investigators include: David Schaefer, Professor of Sociology (UC Irvine); Sarah Brothers, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Public Policy (PSU) and CJRC Faculty Affiliate; Kristina Brant, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology (PSU); Brandy Henry, Assistant Professor of Education (PSU); and Nicolette Bardele, CJRC Postdoctoral Scholar.
The Penn State SSRI and CJRC provided seed funding for this project.
Read the Penn State Today article on this project here.