“You cannot take a person from that violent environment and just put them out on the street and expect them to survive. That is like releasing a tiger out on the street and expecting him not to attack,” observed a former resident of the Federal and North Carolina state prison systems recently. A successfully returned citizen of our state with a steady job and a stable home life, he is concerned about my safety because this is how we currently reintegrate most of our newly released prisoners. After rehabilitating himself during his prison time by taking full advantage of the limited self-improvement opportunities available to him, he now contributes to our economy and improves our society through his work, advocacy and mentorship. This is fortunate because, like all the other returned citizens, he may well live, work, shop and drive near you and your loved ones. His success story, however, did not come easily.
Since he was doing so well, I wanted to learn from him what we as citizens can do to facilitate the difficult transition from prison life to productive life. In 2014, almost 23,000 prisoners returned to North Carolina neighborhoods from their time in prison or, put another way, we have released 23,000 tigers onto our streets and are expecting them not to attack. In the words of this former prisoner, “That is insane!” It does seem a little reckless on our part. We can do better—for our neighbors and for ourselves.
The good news is that, according to a 2014 Council of State Governments Justice Center report, the recidivism rates for returned citizens three years from release are down in North Carolina from 35.8% in 2006 to 28.9% in 2010. This is in part a result of improved “community supervision[, fewer probation] revocations” and other changes in legal practice. However, the report also concludes that “[r]educing recidivism is about changing the behavior of people who have committed crimes in the past.” With a little effort and investment, we can help those 23,000 tigers understand that it is better not to attack. To do this, we need to understand that it is better to support our newly returned citizens as they make their transition from prisoner to neighbor, from inmate to coworker, from jungle denizen to stable citizen. We need to understand that it is in our best interests to offer them our best support—whether we think they deserve it is an irrelevant distraction.
My recently released friend emphasizes that his success did not just happen; he had to work to achieve it. A combination of personal drive and social support opened his path to success. He took full advantage of the limited and inconsistent educational opportunities available to him in prison, participated fully in the faith-based volunteer programs most appropriate for him and, interestingly, crocheted beautifully and meditated regularly—“five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, I am a changed man.” He knew from the moment of incarceration that he would be released and immediately began working to ensure a smooth and stable re-entry.
He also needed a caring community. He found mentors among the faith-based volunteers who introduced him to alternative approaches to life that ended up working better for him; they also eased him into a supportive community that helped him find meaningful ways to contribute his time (in a soup kitchen) and talents (construction). When finally released, he knew he had people to whom he was accountable and who were accountable to him. He knew he counted out here in a way he did not in there. Those supportive volunteers did the rest of us a great service.
This is where North Carolina’s Transitional Aftercare Network (TAN) comes into play. TAN is a languishing state program now being revived by Chaplain Susan Addams, an inspiring and energetic army preacher who says, “The only way to save a human life is with a human relationship.” She is a tiger tamer who saves lives through a few core principles:
- Spiritual values form the foundation of TAN
- All individuals have potential to contribute
- Every individual deserves opportunities
- Truth governs our actions
She recognizes that we all—prisoner and non-prisoner—are alike; the major difference is that “we haven’t all been caught for our stuff.” Clearly the right person for this mission, she operates on an eleven-month annual contract (hence no benefits) without a budget to speak of (hence the volunteer network) and could use your support. She is, after all, saving you money and helping to keep your family safe.
Chaplain Addams is working to develop a statewide network of trained mentors to “provide guidance, encouragement, coping and life coaching skills” to ex-offenders “during their transitional phase.” This transition can begin as much as year before release and continues at least a year after release. Although this is exactly what my friend needed most—“The transition is the hardest thing you do. Going to prison is easy”—the program was not yet available for him and currently still needs public support to attain permanent status.
In 2011 North Carolina citizens paid an average of almost $28,000.00 to host just one of their approximately 38,000 prisoners. This does not factor in the costs of crimes committed, prosecution or post-release supervision. Prison education initiatives, faith-based prisoner support programs and the Transitional Aftercare Network are cost-effective alternatives to housing more prisoners on your dime. Clearly, compassion for returning citizens and supporting their smooth reintegration into our neighborhoods and workplaces is a wiser use of your time and money. After all, under the right conditions, tigers are awesome!
