As defined in the Reintegration: Definition, Model & Programs | Study In the criminal justice system, reintegration refers to the process of reentry into society by persons that have been in prison, or incarcerated. Reintegration includes the reinstatement of freedoms not previously had by individuals as a result of being in prison. This process may occur gradually, as in the case of paroled inmates, inmates finishing their sentences in halfway houses, or serving the final part of their sentence on home confinement and gradually granted freedoms. Alternatively, reintegration may occur immediately as in the case of sentence expiration. In sentence expiration, a person has served the entirety of his or her maximum sentence behind bars, and the correctional system can no longer legally detain the person. It's important to remember that prison is essentially a society within a society - meaning that while in prison, there are completely different social guidelines and cultural norms. As a result, returning to the outside world is not a simple task because a person must reacquaint themselves with how to live on the outside, in society again, without all of their decisions being made for them. So it's not uncommon for persons coming out of prison to want to return to the life they had before prison as a way to adapt to these changes. However, that lifestyle got them sent to prison in the first place. Hence the reintegration process is not a simple one. It involves substantial conscious lifestyle changes that are complicated and difficult.