On Friday, March 14th, the Re-entry Affairs Coordinator held a Re-Entry Event at Aliceville and allowed 100 applicants to attend. We had the opportunity to listen to several visitors talk about the resources their state agencies could assist felons with as they left prison. At a federal prison where people are frequently hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from home, at first it was a little discouraging to realize that every visitor present was from a state agency. But with a little creativity, we were able to extrapolate into the overarching federal agency and frequently the visitors provided the names of those agencies.
I know many of the attendees were taking notes to better prepare themselves for their release, or reach out to those federal agencies upon their release and make use of those resources they learned of today. I think the visitor most peppered with questions was the federal probation officer. It was an opportunity to ask all kinds of questions of a P.O. that is not our own so the questions held no judgement.
Many of us have heard tragic stories about how a P.O. was unfair or especially hard on someone returning to society when that individual is finally returned to prison. The P.O. speaking today was firm in stating that there would be no “officer hopping” but continued talking. She was excellent at giving the audience time to understand how, after having a conversation with a probationer who claimed to have a personality conflict with the officer assigned to him, the probationer finally admitted the officer might be more focused on them because the first time they came to the office, they weren’t in compliance. It seemed like everyone in the room immediately understood that they can change the tone of the relationship they establish with their P.O. by ensuring they are in compliance.
The P.O. then went on to tell us that there are normally 17-18 conditions that every probationer must meet. This is wonderful information to have! Clearly defined expectations and possible consequences give everyone the opportunity to perform at the optimal level. She then went on to explain that some people may have more conditions and everyone’s case will be tailored to their personal situation dictated by their crime or the judge’s orders. Again, more useful information. We were all disappointed that our time with the P.O. was cut short.
The other highly regarded visitor came from a private organization that specialized in helping people find jobs. She was located in Alabama but has contacts all the way up and down the eastern seaboard and as far west as Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was refreshing to hear that there was someone who would devote their time to helping ex-felons find a job that might help them make a decent wage upon release. Most felons return to crime when they cannot support themselves or their families upon release. It is a paradox without end for most felons returning to society. They do not have the skills or training to gain employment that will give them a living wage or, due to their incarceration, the employers who could give them a living wage are not interested in employing ex-felons. SK Services seemed like a godsend to many of the women in attendance.
Overall the event was a success and I am glad I had the opportunity to attend.
