Elliot Ash, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)

This poster describes ways into which community and psychoeducational support groups can help to lessen recidivism rates. Such groups like trauma-focused support groups and skills-based groups were found to foster a sense of community. Case examples from Chicago, IL will be explained.

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Presentation Description:
While working at the Federal Defender program during my first year, I was able to see firsthand how inadequate and punitive the current government services are in helping to provide support for those who re-entering society after being incarcerated. These experiences led me to believe that the current system regarding re-entry to society for those who were recently released could be improved to provide a more substantial support network in the form of community and rehabilitation. As a nation, the United States has the highest prison recidivism rate in the world, roughly 52%. Furthermore, Illinois is one of the states currently leading the country in recidivism rates. In 2016 it was reported that out of the 71,551 new convictions, roughly 89% of them were reoffenders (World Population review, 2021) (Lyon, 2019).

In this proposal I would like to address a program to help curve this recidivism rate in Chicago by creating a community-based psychoeducational and skills support group for those who were recently incarcerated and are now re-entering society. The mental health services I propose would be group and community based. The community centers themselves would host and adapt these psychoeducational and skills-based programs that would benefit their local community. Organizations would have someone in a clinical position from the community working and running these groups.

For example, if the community center believed that their local members would benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trauma-focused therapy for those that have been the victims of gun violence, then the community center would be able to create therapeutic support groups for that specific trauma (Lorentzen, Steinar, et al, 2010) (Imeokparia, 2020). One of the main components of these groups I am proposing would be to incorporate group-based psychoeducational programs and skill-based groups for those who have been recently released from incarceration. The goal of this program is to assist clients to create social and rehabilitative networks by opening space for group therapy that is both community and trauma focused. I believe that this will help to effectively create a safe space to talk about the trauma of being incarcerated and what negative impacts that time created for their current day-to-day life. By seeking out local resources around job security, financial assistance, and trauma support, this group will empower participants to speak openly about their experiences in a way that relates to other members and will link them to resources within their communities that are specific to their needs (Hunter, et al, 2016) (Imeokparia, 2020). Lastly, It is of my belief that these services will help create a sense of stability, and that this will in turn help to decrease the recidivism rates here in Chicago.

References:

• Deady, C. (2020, November 11). United States Criminal Justice and Prison Reform: A Call to Action. Turnagain Currents. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://turnagain.alaskapacific.edu/united-states-criminal-justice-and-prison-reform-a-call-to-action/
• Hunter, B. A., Lanza, A. S., Lawlor, M., Dyson, W., & Gordon, D. M. (2016). A Strengths-Based Approach to Prisoner Reentry: The Fresh Start Prisoner Reentry Program. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(11), 1298–1314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X15576501
• Imeokparia, T. (2020, June). The Chicago Reentry Report - University of Illinois at Chicago. The Chicago Reentry Report. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://greatcities.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Chicago-Reentry-Report-Final.pdf 
• Lorentzen, Steinar, et al. “Group Therapy in Community Mental Health Centres.” Nordic Psychology, vol. 62, no. 3, Taylor & Francis Group, 2010, pp. 21–35, doi:10.1027/1901-2276/a000014.
• Lyon, E. (2019, February) Illinois Calculates the High Costs of Recidivism | Prison Legal News. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2019/feb/5/illinois-calculates-high-costs-recidivism
• NA. (2021). World Population Review. Recidivism rates by state 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/recidivism-rates-by-state