Researcher(s)
- Rabia Hussain, , University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Chrysanthi Leon, Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Abstract
Re-entry Support and Advice: Don’t Give up, Network and Volunteer
This study explores the experiences of people who have been convicted of a crime when they seek to participate in education, programming, and community organizations, including religious communities. People convicted of crimes are stigmatized in broader society and can face similar challenges in religious and other spaces. At the same time, there is a concern that some groups, such as religious communities, are ill-equipped to seriously address harms and injustice, or to manage the participation of people who have criminal legal system involvement. This research examines the experiences of folks with criminal convictions when they have joined or tried to participate in programming, education, or religious community. How did their beliefs about their role and/or identity change over time? How did they experience stigmatization and/or acceptance? Previous research suggests that people convicted of criminal offenses may experience stigmatization because of the way leaders and community members relate to them, as well as because of written policies. The data includes open-ended interviews with people who are re-entering society (n=30), interviews with people volunteering with re-entry services (n=55), and a content analysis of a sample of recent self-help and advice guides for people re-entering after prison (n=4). No known research to date directly asks people with criminal convictions about their experiences in religious spaces, let alone triangulates across sources. Initial findings show that re-entrants in our interview data, as well as those who write self-help manuals, urge others who are struggling to persevere, focus on their interpersonal networks, and to provide service to others as crucial to reintegration. Some of the pieces of advice include “don’t give up”, “don’t be a creep”, and “own up to it.”