Reentry, Day by Day

Slought and the Goldring Reentry Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) are pleased to announce a celebration and ceremony exploring opportunities and barriers to successful reentry from the Philadelphia Prison System on Thursday, April 30, 2015 from 6-8pm. At the event, clients, as well as their friends and families, will receive a certificate of completion of the GRI program. The event will also include remarks by Dean John L. Jackson, Jr. and Dr. Charles Johnson of SP2, Byron Cotter of the Philadelphia Defender Association, and other community partners in the Philadelphia Prison System.

Incarcerated people are especially marginalized, stigmatized, overwhelmingly people of color, and often live in inner city, minority neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status—the people social work purports to defend. Despite over a century of social work involvement within the criminal justice field and the continuous and growing need for social service support, the GRI is unique within schools of social work, where only 8% of enrolled students have completed fieldwork in criminal justice settings. Social workers must become better trained in understanding and maneuvering through the criminal justice system, as mass incarceration and reentry profoundly affects children, families, and entire communities.

People exiting prison or jail face numerous barriers to successful reintegration; a large majority has limited marketable work experience, low levels of educational or vocational skills, and many have health-related issues, including mental illness and history of substance abuse. Moreover, services for people exiting prison or jail are fragmented—there is little to no communication or continuity between community-based providers and those working inside facilities. As a result, service provision is generally inefficient and ineffective. Programs that utilize the continuum of care model can effectively bridge the gap between prison/jail and the community, and address the issue of recidivism. Inconsistencies in resources, services, and mentorship throughout the reentry process produces additional barriers to successful reentry.