CHARLES O. OCHIE: Released inmates need adjustment help

There are about 1.5 million people in federal and state prisons in the United States, according to a U.S. Department of Justice count. They are locked up for various categories of crimes, and a portion of that population will remain in prison for life. But the vast majority are released at some point.

With the recent passage of the 2018 Criminal Justice reform by Congress, changes are coming and many inmates will be released and headed home with few skills, few job prospects and a bleak future which may cause some to re-offend. The recent Senate-passed bill significantly revises a number of sentencing laws, including the “three strikes” penalty for drug felonies, reducing mandatory life to 25 years. The new law also retroactively limits the disparity in sentencing guidelines between crack and power cocaine. The changes will cause a lot of offenders to be released soon.

The reform package also: focuses on reducing recidivism by allowing low- or minimum-risk prisoners to earn some credit toward earlier transfer to pre-release custody like a halfway house if they participate in prison programs; gives judges or restores to judges more leeway in sentencing; allows for the convicted to be sent to prisons closer to their homes, which will help to preserve family ties; expands the opportunity for faith-based programs.

So, the question is, are the communities released offenders are returning to ready, and most importantly, are their loved ones able and ready to receive them? How does someone adjust to life outside after spending years behind bars? As a family, are you excited that your loved is coming home and and do you hope that everything can go back to normal?

The fact is that your loved is going to adjust to life on the outside. These returning citizens most likely have to deal with culture shock, depression, anger, etc. They are going to deal with challenges with the social stigma and the collateral consequences that come with a criminal record. So, as a loved one, how can you help someone adjust to outside life, especially after a long period of incarceration?

Criminologists have suggested several ways to help a loved one adjust to life outside prison:

• Understanding culture shock: This is one of the greatest challenges to reentry, depending on the length of incarceration. The longer the imprisonment, the greater the shock a person experiences. Your loved one will notice new technology, the rise of social media for communication, new versions of cellphones, new language introduced since they were in prison. They will need your help to adjust to their new “normal.” Experts recommend that the key way to help them is to be patient and show them your love, offer them help with decision-making, which has been deprived them for years, and help them adjust to new cultural norms and life organization

• Be aware of depression: Readjusting to daily life is challenging; working toward finding a job with a criminal records and gaining financial stability can be frustrating. Therapy is recommended, but if it is not an option, there are other steps that can be taken such as setting small goals, reaffirming positive thinking, etc.

Your loved one’s frustration may center on adjustment to living at home, troubles with vulnerability, unemployment, societal treatment, rejection, cultural shock, feelings of inadequacy, etc. Your frustration will focus on changes that occurred during their incarceration. Effective communication is the best way to improve feelings of frustration.

• Manage anger: In prison, experts suggest that aggression and anger are methods of protection; these displays are not acceptable outside prison. Your loved one will need to find a way to control this anger and channel it into productivity. When they feel angry, encourage your loved one to take a step back and focus on slow breathing for 10 seconds, and then try to discuss and isolate the cause of their anger. You should try to understand what they hoped to achieve with their anger and how they can achieve it in a more effective and controlled way.

• Dealing with rejection: According to experts, rejection will come in many forms during your loved one’s first months at home. They may suffer rejections from employers, former friends and even from some family members due to the stigma they associate with incarceration. You will need to help them to learn how to accept the rejection, move on and continue to improve themselves and their circumstances.

• Resist negative influences: These may be external pressure to conform to the group to gain acceptance. The best way to resist negative influence, according to experts, is be aware of them. It is important to discuss your loved one’s individual restraints, comfort levels, and what they believe is right and wrong and also encourage them to stick to these restraints in all scenarios.

• Combat addiction: Your loved one may have developed an addiction before or during their prison sentence. When released, they may not be the same person you expected them to be. As we all know, addictions are very serious and incredibly difficulty to work through without support. Your loved one will need your emotional support, love, care and guidance. Depending on their situation, they may need professional help.

Ultimately, it is love and support that will guide former inmates through the healing process.

Charles O. Ochie Sr., Ph.D., is director of the Graduate School, a professor of Criminal Justice and the former chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice at Albany State University.

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