“Out but in”: The complexities of adult re-integration post-incarceration in the Canadian context

This study explores the experiences of adult reintegration post-incarceration in the Canadian context, using a qualitative approach to inquiry, specifically a secondary data analysis. Both a thematic and discourse analysis were conducted based on three documents to highlight the experiences of adults during reintegration: one Federal Document, one Provincial Document, and one Non-Government Organization (NGO) Document. These documents were selected due to the various understandings they would provide to create a comprehensive picture of what adult reintegration looks like in the Canadian context. This study found that how the experiences of adult reintegration is taken up in discourses is heavily influenced by power dynamics and social dominance. Further, this study found that successful reintegration is presented as being dependent on long-term, wrap-around support services that recognize the complexities of criminal justice involvement, and the impact systems and structures have on how individuals navigate the reintegration process.