Blog / Life after Prison / Reentry

Reentry and Technology: Bridging the Digital Divide After Incarceration

When I went to prison there were no cell phones. The closest thing you got to a cell phone in the early 1990s was a car phone. You could only use it in the car and it was as big as a house phone, if not bigger. Texting was a futuristic novelty tha... Read more

Loving Freedom after A Life Behind Bars

I was talking to a friend of mine about the rate of recidivism among men in the District of Columbia. According to him, at least three men get sent back to prison from the halfway house every week. Related:  Bureau of Justice Statistics He said, ... Read more

Reentry and Job Retention: Getting a job and learning to hold onto one after leaving prison

It was a little over two years ago when I was released from Federal Prison after serving 18 years. I was 19 years old when I became incarcerated. My reentry process has been an amazing journey. I have a career in the field of reentry. I’m a college s... Read more

Challenges of Reentry for Short and Long-Term Prisoners

The other day I met a gentleman who was recently released from incarceration. He was seeking assistance with employment, housing, and clothing. I asked him how long he was incarcerated. Then I braced myself for his response. When the gentleman res... Read more

Reintegration is a Process, After 42 years in Prison

I’ve been working with a gentleman who served 42 years in prison. Every time I get the opportunity to exchange with him I feel inspired and grateful. He is so vibrant. He is mentally and physically sharp. For the most part he travels on foot, walking... Read more

Youth Violence in the District of Columbia – A Culture of Crime

I’ve been pondering how I could help society understand the dynamics of youth violence and the anesthetic attitude young people tend to have toward violence, death and crime. I can imagine that for some people this notion is foreign. I remember parti... Read more

Public Perceptions and Re-Entry: How Society Views Criminals Who They Don’t Know Personally

Last week I took my car to the dealer on my lunch break. It was making a weird noise. After discovering that my fan belt needed to be replaced, I got nervous. I only get 30 minutes for lunch. I asked the office manager at the dealership to allow me t... Read more

Education in Prison and its impact on Returning Citizens

Many years ago people in prison were eligible to receive a college education. Then, one day someone saw fit to outlaw such luxuries. Education was considered a privilege not to be enjoyed by individuals incarcerated for committing crimes.  As a resul... Read more