Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Seven Elements Of Effective Prisoner Reentry Programs

By Deborah Clark


An incarcerated individual may have troubles assimilating back into the society after they have been released. This on many occasions is due to the fact that they may have undergone a hard time in prison. The one way of easing their assimilation into the society is their enrollment in reentry programs. However, it is important to get the most effective programs. The following are the seven elements of effective prisoner reentry programs.

The initiation ought to start early. It is important to prioritize on this characteristic when evaluating such programs. In many instances, the ones that succeed are the kinds which identify and start working with offenders even before their freedom is granted. It is largely due to the fact that one can easily be assisted to adjust to life when they have not been released and the effects will manifest once freedom is granted.

Treating the people assisted as clients and not offenders. This quality largely relates to the method in which the people involved in running the program approach ex-offenders. It is always important for them to be viewed as individuals with problems and each person handled according to their specific needs. They should know that each offender has unique aspects and the risk levels should never be generalized. The needs are diverse.

Reassessment frameworks should always be available. This is another critical aspect that one should never forget to check. All those schedules that help to shape the lives of ex-offenders for the better mainly focus on identifying and eradicating any side effects they may elicit. Such include the negative aspects that can be associated with the program and may impact a program making its influence limited for an ex-prisoner. Verifying this is therefore essential.

The program should place a huge priority in seeking evidence. It is vital to ensure this aspect since it indicates that a program values the impact it has. This in the main entails having to focus on getting the evidence that their methods have a positive impact on those they deal with. Assumptions are as such avoided and the methods used will be those that have been proven to have a high success rate.

The support offered needs to be positive and less punitive. Correction and rehabilitation undertakings over the past have shown that more focus on punishments rarely helps to derive the intended results. As such, it is very important for a reentry program to focus more on encouraging offenders by means of motivation and instilling a positive morale. Goals are easily realized in such a manner.

The presence of partnerships as well as collaborations. This is a critical aspect and one should never fail to check it when selecting a program. Majorly, it entails having to ensure that the program that is chosen is one that has vast links with numerous kinds of organizations. As recidivism is multifaceted, a single organization or program may fail to address all its requirements.

The benefits are best when they are long-term. A keen focus on long term goals is always essential as offenders need to be assisted to live a better life. They should be encouraged to make decisions that are more impactful over a long period.




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