A Systematic Review of Reentry Programs for Black Emerging Adults Experiencing Polyvictimization

Background and Purpose: Black young adults involved in the criminal legal system experience the highest rates of incarceration and recidivism across all ages and racial groups. Their reentry trajectories are profoundly shaped by cumulative disadvantage and intersecting forms of trauma including incarceration-related trauma, exposure to community violence, racial discrimination, and structural and economic marginalization. Together, these overlapping adversities constitute a pattern of polyvictimization that reflects not only individual harm but also the systemic violence embedded within carceral and reentry processes. Because many Black young adults return to communities marked by concentrated disadvantage and racialized surveillance, reentry often requires navigating persistent structural barriers to housing, employment, education, and mental health stability. Despite the expansion of reentry initiatives nationwide, the effectiveness of these programs for Black young adults remains insufficiently understood.

Methods: This systematic review synthesizes empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 that evaluate reentry programs for emerging adults aged 18-25, focusing on outcomes related to program participation, post-release adjustment, and racial differences in reentry success. Drawing on interdisciplinary research across criminology, social work, and developmental psychology, the review situates reentry experiences within frameworks of polyvictimization, emerging adulthood, and structural trauma.

Results: Findings reveal that while reentry interventions can improve outcomes related to employment, housing stability, and recidivism reduction, few studies explicitly examine racial disparities or attend to the distinct lived experiences of Black young adults. Moreover, there is limited integration of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, or race-conscious approaches into program design, implementation, and evaluation. The lack of race-disaggregated data further obscures how structural racism and cumulative trauma shape outcomes and limits the field’s ability to identify effective and equitable strategies.

Conclusions and Implications: This review concludes with recommendations for strengthening reentry programs and policies to better address the polyvictimization of Black young adults. Key directions include developing race-conscious evaluation frameworks, embedding trauma-responsive and healing-centered practices into reentry programming, and integrating ecological and structural perspectives into policy and service design. By bridging research on reentry, trauma, and systemic inequality, this paper advances a comprehensive understanding of how programs and systems can move beyond risk reduction to foster poly-strengths resistance, agency, and stability among Black young adults navigating the complex transitions of reentry and achieving long-term stability.