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Articles Relating to a Good Transition:

News You Can Use: Getting Along With Your P.O.

From the Other Side Advice from successful ex-offenders about what it takes to transition into a positive life.

Release planning guide Checklist for success.

Contact Ruth Johnson with RECONNECT for an appointment to get one-on-one help finding resources for your individual needs. Or stop by the office Monday through Friday from 9am to noon or from 1pm to 4pm. Further Reconnect program information is available.

News You Can Use: Getting Along with your P.O.

Did you know that more than half of the people who return to prison return on a technical violation? Understanding the parole process and developing a solid working relationship with your parole and probation officer is critical to getting out and staying out. AMICUS talked to Hennepin County P.O. Lennis Carpentier to get some tips.

• Understand your release conditions and responsibilities. "Though you may hear stories about the P.O. showing up at your residence at three a.m. for a random check, that probably won’t happen to you," says Carpentier. Intensive supervised release requiring techniques like electronic monitoring or random checks only apply to a small number of people (most often Level III sex offenders). Ninety percent of releasees go on "regular supervised release," commonly called parole. For parole, a common pattern is to check in with your P.O. during scheduled appointments four times a month, gradually scaling back the number of appointments as you get a job, etc. Know and keep your appointment schedule and make sure you understand your responsibilities.
• Beware of chemical dependency issues. "If they locked up all the alcohol and cocaine, I’d be out of business," says Carpentier. "Every time you use, you may not end up in jail, but every time you end up in jail, it usually turns out you were using." Develop a support system for chemical dependency problems—if you hit a bump in the road, you will probably not want to talk to your P.O. about it. You need another support system to help you stay clean.
• Get a job or go to school. "Too much idle time leads to stupid thoughts," says Carpentier. "Everyone says they feel much better once they get working." The first job doesn’t have to be a career, just something to keep busy and make money. You can always change jobs later when you are more on your feet.
• Keep the communication open. "A little communication goes a long way," says Carpentier. Try to be straight-up with your P.O. and keep him or her informed about what’s going on with you.
• Keep a positive attitude. "I’ve seen people, even without family or friends, make it solely through their upbeat attitude and determination, even against incredible odds," says Carpentier. "The ones who say, ‘Screw you, the world owes me,’ they don’t make it." It’s important to keep going in spite of setbacks. "Not every day’s a sunny day in anyone’s life," Carpentier points out.

FROM THE OTHER SIDE:

Advice from an Ex-Offender

My life’s not perfect, but it’s much better than it was five years ago—in prison. Even after I served my time, Immigration was waiting at the gate for me, and sent me to Houston, all through the airport with chains on me. I got sent to jails in Louisiana, where you can be in jail alongside people convicted with 99 years waiting to go to Angola. Later I was sent to Mississippi to a jail where I was the only occupant for a month. After 19 years of being in the U.S., the past five years are the first time I’ve been free—and crime-free. It’s not easy to get out of prison and face society. You’re supposed to serve your time and get out and have people ease up on you, but they don’t. You really need one person who is willing to help you.

For me, my Amicus Clayton Tonnemaker was that one person. We met through the AMICUS ONE-TO-ONE program in 1990 and he visited me. He helped me through the bad times in prison and supported me and tried to straighten me out. By the time of my release, he was like a big brother and I didn’t want to let him down. He was my backbone.

When I got out, Clayton wrote letters of recommendation for me and helped me get a job with Phoenix Group, which remodeled houses in low-income neighborhoods and rented them. I was caretaker for one of the houses and so I got both a job and a place to live that way. When the organization got an award, I was one of the people chosen to represent them and got to go to Washington D.C. for three days and meet celebrities like Meredith Baxter and Julio Iglesias. I’ve also worked for Catholic Charities as a security guard at a homeless shelter. I was promoted to shift coordinator working there. Having been homeless and involved with drugs myself, I know what that’s like. A lot of people look at them like a different species, but they weren’t born that way—some kind of life accident got them there. The homeless people really liked you to just talk to them, from your heart. I like to work with people.

You get into prison by hanging around with the wrong kind of people and getting involved in drugs and violence. If you go back to that same place and lifestyle, within two or three months you’ll be back in prison. Prison is a time to study yourself. You have just one life, and you have to ask yourself if you want to enjoy it instead of being behind bars. You need to put your past life behind you and never let down—just keep going on.

Looking back, there were many people who had faith in me, but I didn’t listen—I think of my GED teacher way back in Madison, Wisconsin who told me to keep studying because I had talent, but I just threw out the books. Now, I’ve even written poems, and learned you can think and develop your brains; you can think, and you can do anything you want to. I’ve been though hell, I’m telling you, a lot of problems in my life, but I pick myself up. It’s not that you fail—the important thing is that when you fail, you pick yourself up and start over again. It takes a lot of willingness and hope to do that. That’s what I told the clients at the homeless shelter and that’s what I do.

My best advice is to depend on loved ones and friends—good ones, not the ones that got you into prison. Clayton was that for me and after I got out we stayed friends until he passed away. Now my girlfriend Colleen is the backbone in my life. When you are ready to change your life, you can find that "one person" or people who can be your backbone.

My life is not perfect—in fact, when this article was written I was looking for work. I’m alone in this country except for my girlfriend Colleen. But I have a car, a bank account, I’m free (and crime-free), I have good people around me now, and I can feel the presence of God sometimes giving me guidance and ideas. Take the time in prison to study yourself, seek out good people, and just keep going is my best advice to turn things around for yourself.

RECONNECT’s release planning guide

Most inmates have big plans for the future, but it’s easy to overlook the very basic needs of your first days and weeks out. You should plan for your arrival into society at least six months before release. Ask yourself:

• What is the outside world like?
• What are my most basic needs?
• Where will I stay?
• What are my skills and abilities?
• What skills have I gained that will help me get a job? Can I gain more?
• What will I do on my first day out to get on a good track?

Then, take action! There are several steps you can take while still in prison to prepare yourself for a smoother transition:

• Take advantage of educational, treatment, and transitional programs that you qualify for.
• Attend any job fairs that are offered.
• Look at classified ads in the newspaper to find jobs that appeal to you.
• Apply for a social security card (you need one to work!)
• Get your birth certificate and state I.D.
• Gather employment history and references.
• Resolve DWI issues and plan transportation.
• Call RECONNECT for information to help line up your housing, job, and other needs.
• Keep a positive, striving attitude! When you hit a closed door, pick yourself up and keep going. It takes many "failures" to succeed. The only defeat is giving up.