Understanding Halfway Houses

Answer 1

The purpose of a halfway house, sometimes called a recovery house, is to allow the residents to reintegrate with local society while providing the residents with monitoring and support. Believed to reduce the risk of recidivism, the halfway house is intended to give residents a safe place to learn to reintegrate as opposed to a direct release into society.

Where are residents coming from that requires such a program?

Some halfway houses are intended solely for persons who have served their prison or jail sentences and have been released – often on parole. The halfway house is a way for previous inmates to get used to being outside jail while working with their parole officers and counselors to successfully reintegrate into society.

Some halfway houses are intended for persons with chronic mental health disorders. Residents' stays may be financed by their behavioral health insurance benefits, but in all cases, the halfway house provides a support network and often group counseling to help residents learn life skills that will help them live and work in society.

Some halfway houses are intended for persons with substance abuse issues, such as drug addiction or alcohol abuse. Residents usually receive intensive individual and group counseling while they establish a support network, secure employment, and find new housing. Residents may stay for one to six months, even up to a year, and their stay is also often financed by their behavioral health insurance benefits.

Who operates halfway houses?

Often, the State government is involved in running halfway houses, but some are run by churches, charities or community groups. Residents usually have no say in which halfway house they are transferred to unless they voluntarily commit themselves to one. Residents often find a great deal of support in living together with others of the same fate. Halfway houses vary as to their levels of supervision and availability of counseling.

In the United Kingdom, halfway houses usually refer to a place where people with mental disorders, victims of familial or child abuse, or teenage runaways can stay. In most cases, these are run by charity groups, churches, and community organizations.