INTERNATIONAL EXPERT ON PRISONER REENTRY TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Jeremy Travis, an internationally recognized expert on prisoner reentry, will give a talk on "Rethinking Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration" at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the University Theatre at Old Dominion University.

Travis, president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, is the former director of the National Institute of Justice, where he was responsible for creating the federal reentry program and pioneering the concept of the reentry court. Later, Travis served as a senior fellow with the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute. There, he launched a national research program on prisoner reentry and initiated research agendas on crime in a community context, sentencing and international crime.

Travis' latest book, "But They All Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry," details the challenges facing families, communities and the public when prisoners return home after serving their sentences. Travis argues that the move toward more punitive sentencing schemes, the abolition of parole and an increased reliance on incarceration has neglected the practical implications of reintegrating prisoners to society. In his book, he suggests a number of social policy reforms designed to foster more effective reintegration of ex-offenders, such as those associated with civic participation, employment, housing and, of course, public safety.

The lecture is sponsored by ODU's Institute for Community Justice, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Letters, Office of Multicultural Student Services and Office of Distance Learning, as well as the Virginia Department of Corrections. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. For more information, call (757) 683-3114.