Relationships and Trust Necessary for Community Reentry

对企业来说，将受司法影响的个人纳入社区可能很困难, landlords, school leaders, and others. 那些在明尼苏达州和爱博体育手机版下载各个惩教部门工作的人在整个社区建立关系，帮助这些人过渡到社会，同时把公共安全放在他们决定的首位.

“如果我们真的想改变犯罪状况，减少受害者人数, we cannot keep closing doors to the formerly incarcerated population,” said Mark Elliott, Probation Officer Supervisor in Ramsey County Community Corrections.

他已经为缓刑或假释的男女工作了30多年. Today, 他特别关注那些在监督释放项目中已经服完三分之二刑期或正在缓刑的人. 他的经验表明，在这一复杂情况下，各方人士在使受司法影响的个人融入社会方面都面临许多障碍. 

Balancing act

罪犯常常面临这样一种感觉，即他们可能会重复导致他们最初被监禁的罪行，或者在新的社区犯下新的罪行. 假释代理人和缓刑官员努力帮助这些人找到工作和居住选择，同时不忽视尊重受害者的需求. The employers, 房东或学校官员必须提供机会，与雇佣有司法影响背景的人的潜在风险作斗争. 但埃利奥特说，面对这些挣扎，有一个事实将它们联系在一起.

“以前被监禁的人如果找不到生产性工作或居住的地方，那么他们的累犯率将会增加,” he said. “大多数人都不明白，不提供这些物品会增加个人不遵守缓刑或假释条款的可能性. We have to give them the resources to change that behavior.”

Relationships and trust

发展人际关系是解决这些问题的关键第一步. Probation and parole officers are consistently present in communities, 寻求与房东和企业主建立长期关系, 建立一种理解，即他们将与受到司法影响的个人一起出现和可见, helping to meet their basic needs.

These relationships require trust, specifically that the community’s safety will come first and foremost.

“我们一直关注公众安全，同时为社区成员提供机会，帮助曾经被监禁的人改善生活。,” said Elliott. 

认知行为干预有助于使这次谈话与过去有所不同. 我们需要少告诉他们他们需要什么，多听听他们需要什么, which can be an incredibly eye-opening experience for all, said Elliott.

“我们擅长告诉人们该做什么，但从长远来看，这并不一定有帮助. 我们不得不问，当他们走上正轨时，生活是什么样的。. “I have seen that approach lead to so many more persons having, for the first time in their lives, an apartment, health insurance, sobriety and more, and, as a result, so many more will not violate their probation.”

在任何人的生活中，这些项目对提供精神稳定都有很大的帮助. 关注这些需求意味着更加关注精神卫生规划的影响, considering its cost versus the cost of incarceration. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that in 2018, the cost of holding an adult in federal custody was $37,449 per year, 而在社区医院进行一次间歇性精神治疗的平均费用为3美元,616 to $8,509. Put differently, 大约一至三个月的监禁费用将提供间歇性精神病治疗所需的住院费用.

True Change

Ask any human resource manager, real estate agent or landlord; finding good people is an ongoing endeavor, regardless of demographic. The U.S. job market faced a total separations rate of 47.2% in 2021. The U.S. Census Bureau reports approximately 12%-15% of the population moves yearly. 随着越来越多的人从监禁中释放出来，寻求新的开始，有必要采取深思熟虑的方法来满足这些需求. 而社区矫正和其他第二次机会服务组织等资源可以帮助促进成功重返社会,  it takes all of the community to provide their support as well.

“For employers, landlords and others on the fence, 我相信我们可以在提供公共安全和提供机会的过程中达成一致,” said Elliott.  “这样做可以为受正义影响的个人和整个社会的生活带来真正的改变.” 

Ramsey County Workforce Services has numerous programs aimed at helping employers find qualified workers, including justice-impacted individuals. Contact us today to learn more about Fair Opportunities, 爱博体育手机版下载和爱博体育手机版下载劳动力创新委员会在信息方面的合作, 资源和活动，以帮助雇主更好地了解雇用受刑事司法系统影响的个人的价值.