CHARLES OCHIE: Coming home: The struggle of reintegration after incarceration

The returning citizens’ struggle to reintegrate into society after prison life is a struggle for mundane life necessities and issues we all need and must have in order to survive as human beings: housing, employment, family, friends, mental health issues, love, motivation, substance abuse, etc.

During the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people incarcerated in jails and prisons. When more people go to prison, more people are released. About 95 percent of all prison and jail inmates will be released to reintegrate into communities. In the United States, about 650,000 prisoners are released annually and thousands are being released in Georgia annually as well. What happens to those thousands of people being released into our communities?

Criminologists define reintegration as the process of transitioning from incarceration to the community, adjusting to life outside of prison or jail, and attempting to maintain a crime-free lifestyle. Reintegration is a complex process that occurs over time, and there is much we do not know about the process. Although most who leave prison desire to stay out, making that desire a reality is difficult. Data indicate that about half of all prisoners are reincarcerated within three years of release.

Reintegration is difficult because multiple challenges must be faced simultaneously. As stated above, many have difficulty finding employment because they tend to be uneducated and have few job skills. A substantial majority of offenders have a substance abuse problem, and avoiding relapse is a continual challenge. Many have little family support. It is common for offenders to have alienated family members to the point that their family has given up on them. Others have family support but the wrong type, such as family members who use drugs.

Some offenders have mental and physical health problems that interfere with adjustment. In addition, many of the attitudes and skills learned while incarcerated are not helpful for adjusting to life outside of prison. Not only are prison and jail different from the world outside, but often the world that offenders return to is quite different from their world before incarceration. Finally, criminologists tell us that offenders experience the added stigma of a criminal record, which is a major barrier to employment

Below are vivid examples of struggles to reintegrate into society after incarceration.

Bill had been in prison twice previously; this time, upon release, he was committed to turning his life around. He was grateful his wife had stayed by him, and he was glad to see his son again. However, adjusting to life outside of prison was a challenge. He had a difficult time finding employment that would enable him to support his family. After an extensive search, he took a job as a cook at a local restaurant for $10 an hour. The work was hard and he barely made enough to pay the family’s expenses. Christmas was approaching, and he wished he had the money to buy some nice things for his family. He made the decision to shoplift to get some money.

I started feeling like I had to make up everything for those last two years and stuff and for Christmas and I … I wasn’t, you know, I’d just barely got like a ten-dollar-an-hour job and trying to make up our bills and everything, and so I … I shoplifted to try to … to get some extra money.

Bob was rearrested and returned to prison for violating his parole.

Chris had a similar story. Things were difficult after he was released and he needed money, so he used a stolen credit card. He was convicted of credit card fraud and sent back to prison.

I had the opportunity to use a stolen card. I had a baby on the way. I thought I could make some money selling what I bought on the card. The temptation was too much. I’d done it before and didn’t think I’d get caught.

Barb also had been in prison several times for various property and drug offenses; after release, she too was committed to doing things differently. It was a challenge for her to stay away from drugs, but with determination, treatment and family support, she was able to complete her parole successfully. Looking back on her journey, she put things into perspective.

It’s taken a long time for me to get to that point. Before, I didn’t care because jail was really no big deal for me. Now it’s different. What makes it different is just — I guess, as I matured, just realizing the impact that my behavior has had on my family and my children. Just tired of being without my family ’cause I separate myself from them. And I’m tired of spending life — like the last four Christmases and Thanksgivings in a row, I’ve been locked up in jail or prison and that’s no way to live, you know.

As we learned from literature, Bill, Chris and Barb illustrate the stresses faced by individuals as they leave prison and attempt to reintegrate into their communities. Even under the best conditions, reintegration is challenging. We note from all sources that one of the most profound challenges facing societies today is the reintegration of so many prisoners.

Charles Ochie is a professor at Albany State University.