By Kevin M Haynes
Most inmates anxiously anticipate the long road back to normalcy after a long period of incarceration. And most all return back to their homes and back to their families... but are they ready? I know that the transition back won't be easy. The label "ex-con" subjects you to stereotypes, bias, and discrimination. But until liberty is won, what's next?
Start with the realization that the Department of Corrections isn't here to correct anyone. We must correct ourselves through services like the ones that specialize in postcards for prisoners. I encourage anybody with any level of devotion to liberty to first strive hard to unfasten the handcuffs and shackles of the mind. Because once a person becomes submissive to confinement and accepts the harsh terms and conditions that accompany incarceration, he or she is at risk for becoming "institutionalized".
An institutionalized inmate comes back to the community with one thing on his mind... how to get-by before going back to prison. You would think that once a person understands the political aspect of incarceration and the financial game that is being played, the desire for liberty would become stronger. But, for an institutionalized inmate that is not how it works. It is bewildering to me how a man can exemplify the lack of persistence, faith, and knowledge of self, to become compliant to confinement and incarceration. Never get used to the conditions that accompany imprisonment.
Prison is a place that eliminates a lot of things that could be detrimental to a person's strengthening. It's easier to be suppressed and lose focus of what's important when incarcerated. The prisoner that actually accepts the simplicity of the process and accepts responsibility for the path that they chose - is the one who will succeed. In addition, you have to possess an above average level of focus and devotion to overcome the constant uproars, anxiety, paranoia, and depression that surround the prison environment.
Furthermore, even though statistics shows that effective inmate programming can reduce recidivism by up to 20%, the "revolving door" syndrome is hard to overcome. Prison will either make you stronger or make you weaker. Everyone who is taken through this process is tested and it saddens me to know that so many will fail instead of properly preparing for the biggest test of all- liberty. So, in order for one to take advantage of a liberty one must first take on the task of fortifying self mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Fail to do so and liberty will be taken away.
Inmates that stay connected to friends and family through inmate postcards are more likely to stay out. To find an art therapy postcard program you can use to connect with inmates click here. https://www.kytesketch.com/index.php/products/sketch-postcards.html