Reentry - Building with Youth

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲?

I would argue that the answer isn't the day they walk out the door.

𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧.

If we want young people to successfully return to their families, schools, communities, and lives, we have to start preparing for that return much earlier.

I think about reentry as:

𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 → 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄 → 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄 → 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓 → 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 → 𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍

𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

 Begin thinking about what the young person will need when they return from the moment they enter placement.

𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄

 Build relationships with the young person and family. Understand their goals, strengths, concerns, and priorities.

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄

 Address practical needs not just compliance requirements.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓

 Build connections to people, resources, and opportunities in the community 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 release.

𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍

 Make coming home an active process, not simply a discharge event.

𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍

 Continue supporting the young person after they return. The first week home isn't the end of reentry. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞.

A successful reentry plan shouldn't only answer:

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞?”

It should also ask:

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞?”

Because reentry isn't just about getting a young person home.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨.

#reentry #youth #successfulreentry #sustainable #juvenilejusticereform #m3consulting #communitybasedcare #youthvoice #youthsupport