Transportation Barriers to Successful Reentry among Returning Citizens: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-synthesis

Abstract

Over 600,000 individuals return to United States communities from prison each year. Transportation has been identified as a major barrier to successful reentry. Applying qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis to achieve a deep understanding of reentry transportation obstacles, 11 articles with 362 male and female participants were identified. Two themes emerged from our analysis: (1) “Transportation connects complex obligations,” highlighting the critical role that transportation plays in the successful navigation of post-release conditions; and (2) “Transportation deficiencies exacerbate vulnerability,” revealing how transportation factors intertwine with structural issues to increase precarity.