BuildingConnection BehindBars:AProcess
Evaluationofa Relationship-Based ReentryWorkshopfor IncarceratedMen inPennsylvania
CaitlinJ.Taylor
ThePrisonJournal 2025,Vol.105(5)606–627 ©2025SAGEPublications
Articlereuseguidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI:10.1177/00328855251374974 journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj
Abstract
Thisarticlepresents findingsfromaprocessevaluationofthePennsylvania PrisonSociety'sBuildingConnectionreentryworkshopsforincarcerated mennearingparole.Usinginterviewswithformerlyincarceratedprogram participants,surveysofcurrentlyincarceratedparticipants,observationsof programworkshops,andprogramdocuments,thestudyhighlightskeyfeaturesthatsupportparticipants’ emotionalandpracticalpreparationfor reentry,includingrelatablefacilitators,real-worldscenarios,andasafe groupsetting.Theprogramfosterscommunicationskills,emotionalsupport, andawarenessofcommunityresources.Implicationsforprogramexpansion orreplicationarealsodiscussed.
Keywords reentry,mentoring,corrections,qualitativeevaluation,emotionalsupport
DepartmentofSociologyandCriminalJustice,LaSalleUniversity,Philadelphia,PA,USA
CorrespondingAuthor:
CaitlinJ.Taylor,DepartmentofSociologyandCriminalJustice,LaSalleUniversity,1900West OlneyAve.,Philadelphia,PA19141,USA.
Email:taylorc@lasalle.edu
Introduction
Significantemotionalandpracticalchallengesoftenmarkreentryfromprison. Individualsnavigatingthistransitionfrequentlyfacechallengesinlocating stablehousing(LaVigneetal.,2009;Metrauxetal.,2008),addressing theirphysicalandmentalhealthneeds(Mallik-Kane&Visher,2008; Pulitzeretal.,2021;Western,2018), findingandmaintainingqualityemployment(Hardingetal.,2018;Pager,2008;Visher&Lattimore,2007),managingsubstanceusedisorders(Belenko&Peugh,2005;Hamilton&Belenko, 2019),reconnectingwithfamilyandpeers(Naser&LaVigne,2006; Taylor,2016;Western,2018),meetingprobationorparoleobligations (Grattet&Lin,2016;Rudes,2012;Schenwar&Law,2020),andgenerally reintegratingintosociallife(Western,2018).
Reentryprogramsthatemphasizementorshipandrelationship-buildingare promisinginterventionstohelpindividualsovercomethemanychallengesof reentry.Thisarticlepresents findingsfromaprocessevaluationofonesuch initiative:theBuildingConnectionreentryworkshopfacilitatedbyanonprofitorganization,thePennsylvaniaPrisonSociety.Designedformen nearingparoleeligibilityatstateprisons,theuniqueprogramcombinesstructuredworkshopsessionswiththeopportunitytoconnectwithlong-term mentorsandreentrysupport.
Drawingfrominterviewswithformerlyincarceratedprogramparticipants, surveysofcurrentlyincarceratedparticipants,observationsofprogramworkshops,andprogramdocuments,thisarticleuncoversthekeyprogramcharacteristicscontributingtoBuildingConnection'sperceivedeffectiveness.By examininghowtheprogramisimplemented,howparticipantsengagewith itscontentandfacilitators,andwhatelementsaremostvaluedbythoseit serves,thisprocessevaluationprovidesinsightintothemechanismsthat supportmeaningfulreentrypreparationandoffersguidanceforfuture programexpansion.
BuildingConnectionProgramOverview
Toprovidesomebackgroundontheprogram,BuildingConnectioniscurrentlyfacilitatedbytwoPrisonSoci etystaffmembers.Incollaboration, theyruna90-minweeklyworkshopfora fi ve-weeksessionwithmen incarceratedattwoPennsylvaniasta teprisonsnearPhiladelphia,witha plantoexpandtootherprisonsthroughoutthestate.Thecohortsof10 ‒20participantsaremenwhowillbee ligibleforparolewithinthenext 6months,andreturningtothePhiladelphiaarea.Theworkshopscover fi vetopics:
• Week1:IntroductionandMentoringProgramOverview
• Week2:ActiveListeningandEffectiveCommunication
• Week3:PreparingfortheJobSearchandUtilizingEducational Opportunities
• Week4:PhysicalHealth,MentalHealth,andSubstanceAbuse
• Week5:NavigatingRelationshipsandFinalPreparations
Participantsreceiveaguidebook,whichoutlinesthekeyinformationfor eachtopic,providesspaceforwrittenreflection,andlistsadditionalresources. Eachsessiongenerallyinvolvesthefacilitatorsprovidinganoverviewofthe topic,aperiodforthementocompleteawrittenreflectiononaquestionor scenariorelatedtotheweek'stopic,andanopengroupdiscussion.
Whiletheworkshopsprovidevaluablecontent,theBuildingConnection programisalsointendedtoserveasanintroductiontothePrisonSocietyand itsbroaderpost-releasementoringinitiatives.Attheconclusionoftheworkshops, BuildingConnectionparticipantshavetheopportunitytobematchedwitha mentor.TheyarealsointroducedtothePrisonSociety'smonthlyHopeAlive peersupportmeetingsandthevirtualHopeAlive “ResourceHour,” bothof whichprovideadditionalsupportfollowingtheirrelease.Thisstudyfocuseson thein-prisonworkshopcomponentoftheBuildingConnectionprogram.
LiteratureReview
Itishelpfultobeginbyexaminingwhatexistingscholarshiponcomparable reentryprogramsrevealsabouteffectivepracticesandcommonchallenges. Understandingthebroaderlandscapeofreentryinitiativesprovidesimportant contextforevaluatingtheBuildingConnectionprogram.Inparticular, insightsfrompreviousresearchhelphighlightwhatdistinguishesthis programandwhereitalignswithevidence-basedapproaches.
WhileBuildingConnectionismuchbroaderthanamentoringprogram,it certainlysharesrelevantcomponentsofotherreentrymentoringprograms. Qualitativestudiesexploringmentoringrelationshipsamongjusticesysteminvolvedadultshaveidentifiedarangeofperceivedbenefitsfromboth mentors’ andmentees’ perspectives.Theseincludesupportfordesistance (Garcia,2016;Roberts&Stacer,2016),increasedsocialcapital(Brown& Ross,2010),emotionalsupport(Koschmann&Peterson,2013;Roberts& Stacer,2016;Taylor,2020),thedevelopmentoftrustingandhonestrelationships(Kavanagh&Borril,2013;Taylor,2020),andanenhancedabilityto detectandavoidriskysituations(Koschmann&Peterson,2013). Additionally,mentoringhasbeenlinkedtobroaderbehavioralchange throughincreasedprogramengagement(Walker&Bowen,2015).
Whilefewerinnumber,quantitativeoutcomeevaluationshavebegunto assessthemeasurableimpactofmentoringprogramsforadultsinvolvedin thecriminaljusticesystem.Theseevaluationsgenerallyreportpositive effects,includingreductionsinrecidivism(Bragaetal.,2009;Clark,2015; Duwe&Clark,2013;Duwe&Johnson,2016;Koschmann&Peterson, 2013;Lynchetal.,2018;Taylor,2023),improvedemploymentoutcomes (Bauldryetal.,2009),andenhancedpsychosocialfunctioningrelatedtosubstanceuserecovery(Marlowetal.,2015).
However,itisalsoimportanttonotethat “mentoringinvolvesadiversityof programmodels” (Brown&Ross,2010,p.32).Theboundariesofwhatconstitutesmentoring-andwhatdoesnot-havenotbeenclearlydefined,especiallyinacorrectionalcontext.Onecommonthemeofmentoringprogramsis thattheyoftenstriveto findabalancebetweentheprovisionofinstrumental andemotionalsupport.Programsfocusedonemotionalsupporttendto providementorswhocanofferacompassionateearandprovideencouragement.Incontrast,theprovisionofinstrumentalsupportismoregoal-oriented, focusingontangibleoutcomessuchassecuringemployment, findingstable housing,oraddressingothercriticalreentryneeds.
Asexploredfurtherbelow,BuildingConnectionfunctionsinmanyways asa pre-mentoringinitiative.Giventhisstructure,itisimportanttohighlight thatreentryprogramswhichbeginduringincarcerationandcontinueseamlesslyintothecommunityhavebeenshowntobeparticularlyeffectiveinpromotingpositivereentryoutcomes(Prendergast,2009;Seiter&Kadela,2003; Serinetal.,2010).Thisemphasisoncontinuityofcareunderscoresthevalue ofearlyrelationship-buildingandsustainedsupportinsuccessfulreentry programming.
Despitethepotentialformentoringprogramstosupportsuccessfulreentry, severalbarrierscanundermineitseffectiveness.Forsomeparticipants,mentoringdoesnotfeellikeapriorityamidthemanycompetingdemandsof reentry(CobbsFletcheretal.,2009;Taylor,2023).Navigatinghousing, employment,andsupervisionrequirementscanleavelittletimeorenergy forengaginginstructuredmentoringrelationships.Othersperceivementoring asanotherformofsurveillanceorreporting,whichcanreinforcefeelingsof controlratherthansupport(CobbsFletcheretal.,2009;Fletcher&Batty, 2012;Maruna&LeBel,2003).Whenmentorsarecloselyaffiliatedwithinstitutionsorperceivedasextensionsofthecorrectionalsystem,trustandopennessmaybecompromised.
Someindividualsreportthatmentoringrelationshipscanfeelpaternalistic, asiftheyarebeingtreatedlikechildrenratherthanrespectedadults.This dynamiccanhinderthedevelopmentofmutualrespectanddiscouragefull participationintherelationship(CobbsFletcheretal.,2009;Taylor,2020).
Additionally,whenmentorslacksharedlivedexperienceorparticipantsquestiontheirmotives,itcancreateasenseofdisconnectandmistrust(Cobbs Fletcheretal.,2009;Taylor,2020).Withoutafoundationofauthenticity andempathy,mentoringrelationshipsmaystruggletofosterthekindof meaningfulconnectionneededtosupportsuccessfulreintegration.
Lastly,withoutsufficienttraining,mentorsmaylacktheskillsneededto navigatecomplexreentrychallengesorrespondappropriatelytoparticipants’ needs(Fletcher&Batty,2012;Taylor,2023;Umezetal.,2017).Poorlypreparedmentorscanunintentionallycauseharm,underminetrust,orfailto providetheemotionalandpracticalsupportessentialtothementoring relationship.
Takentogether,theexistingliteraturehighlightsboththepotentialandthe limitationsofmentoringasareentrystrategy.Whilepriorresearchpointsto thevalueofemotionalandinstrumentalsupport,sustainedrelationships,and continuityofcare,italsoidentifiespersistentchallengesrelatedtotrust, mentor-participantdynamics,andtheclarityofmentoringroles.
ToassesshowBuildingConnectionparticipantsexperiencetheprogram andwhichcomponentsmaycontributetoitsperceivedeffectiveness,thefollowingsectiondetailsthequalitativemethodsusedinthisprocessevaluation.
Method DataCollectionandAnalysis
The firststepindatacollectioninvolveda reviewofprogramdocuments, includingtheBuildingConnectionparticipantguide,participantquestionnaires,andthePrisonSociety'sStrategicPlan.Anin-depth discussionwith programstaff offeredanopportunitytofurtherunderstandprogramdetails, includingparticipantrecruitment,eligibilitycriteria,sizeofeachcohort, howtheparticipantguideisused,andhowstaffdefineprogramsuccess. Detailednotesweretakenduringthisdiscussion,withdirectquotescaptured whenpossible.
In-personobservations oftheBuildingConnectionprogramatoneprison werealsoconductedforweekstwo,three,andfouroftheprogram.Duringthe observations,detailednoteswererecorded,includingwhatcontentwas covered,theextentofparticipation,andinformalinteractionsbetweenparticipantsandfacilitators.Directquoteswerecapturedwheneverpossible.For weeksoneand five,whenIwasunabletoobservetheworkshopsinperson attheprison,theprogramfacilitatorsprovidedadetailedoverviewofthe sessioncontentandsharedtheirobservationsonhowparticipantstypically engagewiththematerial.
Interviewsofformerprogramparticipants whohavesincebeenreleased fromprisonwerecompletedwithsevenindividuals.OneoftheprogramfacilitatorsidentifiedformerparticipantswhostillstayintouchwiththePrison Societyandsharedtheirphonenumbersaftertheparticipants’ verbalagreement tothefacilitator.Priortotheinterview,allthemencompletedanonlineinformed consentandweregiventheopportunitytoaskquestionsorseekclarification abouttheconsentform.Interviewswereconductedviatelephone,recorded, andlatertranscribed.Thelengthofinterviewsrangedfrom13to35min,with anaveragelengthof23min.Interviewquestionsinvitedparticipantstoreflect onwhichprogramcomponentstheyfoundmostandleastvaluable,theirperceptionsofthefacilitators,whatskillstheygainedfromtheworkshops,theirperceptionsoftheprogramstructure,andareasforimprovement.
Surveysofformerprogramparticipants whoarestillcurrentlyincarceratedwerecollectedfrom16individuals.Surveyquestionspromptedrespondentstosharetheirmostmemorableexperiencesintheworkshops,whatthey foundtobehelpfulandunhelpful,theirperceptionsofthefacilitators,and suggestionsforimprovingprogramstructure.
AlldatacollectionstrategieswereapprovedbyLaSalleUniversity's InstitutionalReviewBoard(IRB#24-07-015).
Theanalysiswasintendedtocenterthevoicesofthosedirectlyimpacted bytheprogram,drawingprimarilyontheinsightsandreflectionsofcurrent andformerparticipants.Theirexperiencesweretreatedasessentialsources ofknowledgeinunderstandingtheprogram'simplementationandpotential impact.Todoso,alldatawereenteredintothequalitativedataanalysis programTaguette,whichallowstheresearchertoassignlabelsor “codes” todifferentpassages.Anopencodingtechniquewas firstutilized;asan initialstageinqualitativedataanalysis,opencodingenabledrawdatatobe categorizedintodiscretepartstoidentifypatterns,themes,andconcepts. Afteraninitialroundofopencoding,alldatasourceswerere-readtoapply codesthatmayhaveemergedinasecondround.Then,anaxialcodingtechniquewasusedtoexaminerelationshipsamongtheopencodes,identifying connectionsandorganizingthemintobroadercategories.Thisstrategyalso enabledtheidentificationofco-occurringcodes,orcodesthatcommonly appliedtogethertothesamepassages.
Findings KeyProgramFeatures
The firstsetof findingsidentifiesthedefiningfeaturesoftheBuilding Connectionprogramthatappeartobecriticaltoitssuccessandshouldbe
replicatedinprogramexpansion.Thesefeaturesincludethecomfortable spacecreatedforparticipantstoopenlyshareduringworkshops,facilitator relatability,facilitatorsincerity,theinclusionofreal-worldscenarios,and theimpactofsharingwithagroup.
Theimportanceof creatingacomfortable,safespaceforparticipantsto openlyshare withthegroupwasidentifiedbyatleastthreeofthepost-release interviewees,atleastoneoftheparticipantsurveys,intheinitialconversation withthefacilitators,andinseveralobservations.Oneformerparticipant explainedthattheworkshopswere “veryfriendlyandopen,guyswereall politeandrespectful.” Anotherreportedthatoneofthemostmemorable partsoftheworkshopwas “thewillingnesstofreelyopenupbythemen.” Indicatingthatcreatingthissafespaceisveryintentionalforthefacilitators, oneofthemexplainedinaninitialdiscussionthattheytrytopresenttheworkshopsas “thesearehumanconversations… wecouldverywellbehavingthis atanotherpointinyourlife,notjustinprison.”
Oneofthecodesthatcommonlyco-occurredwithacomfortablespacewas facilitatorreliability .Summarizinghowthesefactorsarerelated,oneformer participantexplained,
whenevertheywouldtalkaboutsomething,itwasalwaysverypersonal.AndIfelt likethathelpedothers,includingmyself,openuptobe… like,tofeelmorecomfortableinthosetypeofsettings,tobeabletosharewhateverybodywasgoingthrough.
Anotherpersonsharedthatthefacilitators “sharedalotoftheirownpersonalexperiencesintheretoo,andithelpedputguysatease.Itwasn'tlike yourstiffteacher-studentorsupervisortypeexperience.Theyweremore likeequalswithus.” Yetanotherpost-releaseintervieweeconfirmedthat
thefacilitatorswouldopenupanditwouldhelpeverybodyelseinthegroup startsharingsomeofthepersonalthingsaboutthemselves.Otherwise,they probablywouldhavekeptquiet,youknow.Butwhenyouseeafacilitatordo that,andyoucanfeelthehonesty,right,andknowthattheyarereallyconcerned.Itmakesabigdifference.
Inadditiontocontributingtothecomfortablespacetoshare,several formerparticipantsparticularlyvaluedthatoneofthefacilitatorshadlived experienceassomeoneformerlyincarcerated.Asonepost-releaseintervieweeexplainedaboutoneofthefacilitatorsnamedJoe,
Ithinkanotherthingisthatwhenpeoplegettheopportunitytoseethatthiswas, like,thepersonthatyouare[comparedto]whotheyusedtobe.Youknow,it
givesapersontheopportunitytobelievethattheycanbecomethataswell.So whenIheardJoe'sstory,andnowIseewhereJoeisatnow,itgavemethe opportunitytobelieveinmyself.Like,okay,youknowJoedidXYZ.You know,Joewashere.Okay,Joewasjustlikeme.NowIcouldbetheperson thatJoeisnoworbetter.
Anotherpersonconfirmedthat
thefacilitatorwasinthesameseatthatIwasin.WhatImeanbythesameseat? Hewasincarceratedfor15plusyears.Andhewenthome,changedhisnarrative.Nowthisbrother'sbackintheinstitutionsgivingback,letalonegoingto university.Itwasmindblowing.” Severaloftherespondentstothesurveyalso emphasizedtheimportanceoflivedexperiencewiththecriminallegalsystem. Onepersonnotedthat “oneofthefacilitatorshavebeenthroughwhatIhave beenthroughandispayingitforwardbyteachingme,makesmewanttopay itforwardaswell.”
Workshopobservationsrevealedseveralinstancesinwhichthefacilitator's livedexperiencewasrevealed.Inadditiontojustexplaininghishistoryof criminallegalsysteminvolvementduringthevery firstworkshop,healso sharedsomeofhisownmentalhealthchallengesduringtheweekfour sessiononhealth.Hesharedthathewasonceshot fivetimes,stillhasa bulletinhim,andcontinuestobetraumatizedwhenhehearsgunshots. But,heexplains, “Italkaboutitandit'shelpedmeinmyrecoveryandto getwhereIamtoday.”
Andevenfortheotherfacilitatorwhohasnotbeensystem-involved,workshopparticipantsstillindicatedthattheyfoundhimtobeveryrelatable.One post-releaseintervieweeshared, “Andy,heain’tgothrough[prison],butyou cantellhebeenaroundenough,orheknewenough,thatheunderstood.He couldempathize.Hehadempathy.Buthealsohelpedyouunderstandthings thatyoumayneedtoknow.Youneedtolearnhowtoempathize,ontheother side.That'swhatIlike,too.Likeheunderstoodwherewecomefrom.” Anotherpersonreportedthat “yougottheAndyaspectofit,neverbeen insidenobody'sjail,buthehasthatintellect,theknowledge,heknowhow toarticulatehimselftomen.”
Severalrespondentsnotedthatthislevelofrelatabilityisparticularly uniqueforthetypeofprogrammingavailablewithintheDepartmentof Corrections(DOC).Oneintervieweeexplainedthat,
Andywastellingusthathehadchildren Sohewasgivingusexamplesofhis life,andthatmeantalottome toshowmelikehe'swillingtoallowusinto hislife.Alotofpeople facilitators,staffmembers theydon'tdothat,right?
Forsomereason,theyfeellike, ‘Oh,ifIgivehimtoomuchinformation,they might…’ Hedidn'tcareaboutthat.Notonlydidn’thecareaboutthat,buthe wasopenenoughandtrustedusenoughtoevenexpressthat,right?
YetanotherformerparticipantobservedhowBuildingConnectionstoodout asverydifferentfromotherDOCprogramming.Hesaidthat,
WithAndy,thatwasmemorable,hereallylistenedtous.Hedidn'tjudgenone ofus.Heallowedustoopenupinthatgroup.Wewasallowedtocurseattimes, youknow,likewewaslikeahousehold.Likeafamily,likeafamilytable,a familymeetingatatable.Weallwouldstartfeelingsocialconcernswithout judgment,andthat'sveryrareintheDOCprogramaspect.
In-personobservationsconfirmedthatthefacilitatorsregularlysharedpersonalinformationaboutthemselvestoillustratereal-worldchallenges.Inone sessiononmentalhealth,oneofthefacilitatorsopenlysharedthatoneofhis sonshadfacedchallengeswithmentalhealthanddetailedhowthefamilysupportedhim.Anotherworkshoponsubstanceabusecreatedanopportunityfor oneofthefacilitatorstoshareapersonalanecdoteaboutthepotentialfor alcoholtosometimescauseunanticipatedproblemsinrelationships.Andin aconversationaboutshort-termandlong-termemploymentgoals,bothfacilitatorssharedtheirvariedcareerpathsthathavebroughtthemtotheircurrent situations.Emphasizingtheimportanceoflong-termplanningwhilealso demonstratingrelatability,oneofthefacilitatorsstatedthat “Allofusrun intothesekindsof[employment]decisionsregularly.ThisiswhereI’mat andthisiswhereIwanttobe.”
Summarizingtheimportanceoffacilitatorrelatabilityassomethingunique withintheDOCaswellassomethingthatgeneratespositiveoutcomes,one post-releaseintervieweesummarizeditinthisway:
It'slike,yougotsomepeerfacilitatorsthatjustwanttoteachoffbooks.Butthey spokeoutofexperienceand,like,asforme,Irespectthatmorethanbeing taughtbystatistics….Becausewhenyouteachmeoutofbooksandyou ain’texperiencethattypeoflifeIdon'ttakethatserious.
Closelyrelatedtotheconceptoffacilitatorrelatability,anotherkeyfactor oftheworkshopsisthe facilitators’ sincerity inworkingwiththeparticipants. Onesurveyrespondentemphasizedthefacilitators ’“genuineconcernforthe futureoftheparticipants,” whileanotherreferredto “theirhonesty,straightforwardness,communicationsskillsandbeingpatientwhenneeded.” One post-releaseintervieweeemphasizedthat “theyreallyseemliketheywas
theretoreallyhelp.Liketheyreallygetsomethingpersonallyoutofit.That stoodouttome.Theycamewithsmilesandgooddemeanorandstufflike that.Notliketheyjust,youknow,liketheyjustclockingin.Theyactually reallycameinwithapurpose.” Anotherintervieweesharedthat, “They're totallyhonest.Ilikethat.Ilikethevibethattheygaveoff.Theyjustwere openandhonesttoeverythingthatyouhadtosay.”
Partofwhatappearedtoinfluencetheperceptionthatthefacilitatorswere verygenuinewastheirconsistencyandreliability.Onepersonexplainedthat “Consistencymeaning,youknow,comingwhentheysaidtheyweregoing tocome,andgivingpeopletherespectthattheydeserved.” Thefacilitatorscertainlyseemedtobeawareoftheimportanceofdeliveringonwhattheysaythey aregoingtodo.Whendescribingwhathappensintheweekonesession,oneof thefacilitatorsnotedthatitisveryimportantthatthenewparticipantsarecontactedviatheDOC'sonlinemessagingplatform,astheyaretoldtheywillbe. Heexplainedthat “Thisisthe firstopportunitytodisplayourseriousness. We’regonnadowhatwesaywe’regonnado… Wecanbereliedupon.”
Onceagain,someparticipantsnotedhowtheirsinceritywassomething specialcomparedtootherprogrammingtheyhadencountered.Onepostreleaseintervieweeexplained,
Whenthey firstcamein,Isaidtomyself, “Well,maybethisisjustroutine,you know?” Becausesometimesyougetintheseworkshopsandthepeoplearejust routine.Theyjustfollowingroutine. “Thisiswhatwe'regonnado.We'regonna dothis.” Butwiththem,itwasdifferent.ItwasdifferentwithAndyand[Joe], youknow,I'msayingtheyintroducedthemself.Theydidn'tjumprightintoit, right?Everybodygotachancetointroduceyourselfinthegroup.AndIseen thatitwasgenuine,youknow,youcansensewhenpeoplearegenuinein theirconcern.
Clearly,thefacilitatorswerecommittedtodemonstratingtheirsincerityto participantsandthattranslatedintoaspecialconnectiontotheprogramfor theparticipants.
Anadditionalkeyfactorintheworkshopswasthe inclusionofreal-world scenarios.Reviewofprogramdocumentsandthein-personobservations bothidentifiedexamplesofparticipantsreflectingonpossiblereal-worldscenarios.DuringtheweektwomoduleonActiveListeningandEffective Communication,participantsareprovidedascenarioinwhichsomeonehas aconflictwiththeirbossandneedstodecidehowtohandleit.Anadditional discussionquestionduringthismodulerelatestocommunicatingwitha familymemberaftertherelationshiphasfracturedduringincarceration.As evidenceofthereal-worldapplicabilityofthescenariosusedinthe
modules,oneindividualvolunteeredthatthisscenarioissomethingthathe hasactuallyencountered,ashehastriedtorebuildarelationshipwithhis sonwhilemaintainingarelationshipwithhiswife.Foranadditional example,duringtheweek fivemoduleonNavigatingRelationshipsand FinalPreparations,participantsaregiventwoscenariosaboutpotential familyconflictsandinvitedtosharepossibleresponses.
Oneofthepost-releaseintervieweessharedthatthereal-worldscenarios wereoneofthemostmemorablepartsoftheworkshops.Heexplainedthat they “hadworkplacescenarios,like,ifthishappenedatwork,howwould youhandleit?Andeverybodywouldhandleitadifferentway.Andthey wouldexplainwhytheywouldhandleitthatway.Andwewouldtalk aboutitanddiscussitasagroup.” Thefacilitators ’ experienceworking withformerlyincarceratedindividualshasclearlyinformedthedesignofrealisticscenariosthathelpprepareindividualsforreentrybyevaluatingvarious responsestocomplexsituations.
Lastly,oneofthekeyfactorsintheBuildingConnectionworkshopsisthe valueofthegroupsetting.Formerparticipantsallindicatedthattheyappreciatedtheopportunitytosharetheirownexperiencesandhearothers’ perspectivesduringtheworkshops.Oneintervieweeexplainedthat “youreally gottoknowwhatothersweregoingthroughandkindoflikerelatetoeach otherinthattypeofway.” Similarly,anotherpersonsharedthatthegroup setting “allowedmetoempathizewithalotofindividuals.Showedmethat wehavealotofcommon,eventhoughalotofuscamefromdifferent walksoflife,differentpartsofthestate.”
Onepost-releaseintervieweeemphasizedthatthediversityofthegroup wasparticularlyhelpful.Hestated,
Becauseyourexperiencesarelimitedandsoyoudealwiththingsinthewaythat youknowhowto,unlessyoulearnadifferentwayhowtodealwiththem.And afterthatworkshop,especiallywithsomanydifferentbackgroundsandpeople, youknow,wecomefromalldifferentwalksoflife.Because,likeIsaid,the groupshadguysfromalldifferentraces,ethnicities,experiences,and,like,differentcities,suburbs.Sowhenyouallcometogetherlikethatandeverybody's openandhonest,it'samorepurposefulandmeaningfulexperiencefor everybody.
Overall,formerparticipantsindicatedthattheyappreciatedtheopportunityto hearfromotherparticipantsinthegroupwhilealsosharingtheirownperspectivesinarespectfulandopenspace.
Basedonthein-personobservations,thefacilitatorsappeartorecognize theimportanceofthegroupsetting.Forexample,inonesession,oneofthe
facilitatorsemphasizedthat “Whatyou’remostlikelytotakeawayfromthese fiveweeksissomethingoneofyousay[asopposedtosomethingthefacilitatorssay].” Ineachsession,thefacilitatorsdemonstratedpatiencebyallowingindividualsthetimetheyneededtofeelcomfortablesharingwiththe group,expressedgratitudetothosewhoparticipated,andactivelyaffirmed thevalueofallperspectives.
WhatBuildingConnectionProvides
Thesecondsetof findingsfocusesonwhattheBuildingConnectionprogram offersparticipantsandtheirperceptionsofitsimpact.Thefollowingprogram featureswillbeincluded:emotionalsupport,employmentsupport,communicationassistance,post-releaseresourceinformation,andthelong-termnature ofsupport.
Oneofthegeneralaspectsoftheprogramthatformerparticipantsidentifiedasmostimpactfulwasthe emotionalsupport JoeandAndyprovided.As oneformerparticipantdescribedinaninterview,
Ineverhadachancetohavenopositiverolemodelsinmylife.So[I]jumpinto theprogram… I'mstilltryingtoacclimatemyselfbackintosociety.Attimes,it beoverwhelming.SotohavesomebodylikeJoe,Andy,Rob[post-release mentor],andbeabletoziptohim,expresstothemlike, “Yeah,lifeisoverwhelminglyhardformeattimes.” So,I'mjustgladIwasabletomakethat connection.
Severalofthesurveyrespondentsalsoreferredtothevalueof “positive supportandfeedback” orofferedgratitudefor “caringandextendingyour timeandresourcestohelpchangelives.”
Basedonprogramobservations,thisprovisionofemotionalsupportseems tobeveryintentionallydesignedbythePrisonSociety.Forexample,when describingwhatiscoveredinthe firstweek,oneofthefacilitatorsexplained thattheywantto “emphasizethatourgoalistoincreasetheirnetworkof support.” Andinweek five,thefacilitatorsstresstheimportanceof
WhattodoWHENnotIFyouhaveasetback.Callingyourmentor,callingus [AndyandJoe].Theemotionalpreparationthatthisisnotgoingtogosmoothly. You’regoingtohitthesespotswherewhatyouthoughtputtingyourself togetherisn’tgoingasyouthought… Peopledon’thavecriminalmindsets, theygetinatoughsituation,almostimpossiblesituation,andthenemotionally panicandreturntocrime.Weemphasize,whenyouhitthosespots,that'swhy youhavethesupportnetwork.Getonthephonewithpeople,getoutofyour ownhead.
Theemphasisonbuildingasupportnetworkappearstoeffectivelytranslateintomeaningfulactionforparticipantsaftertheirrelease.Oneoftheintervieweesexplainedthatintheprogram, “Ilearnedtoaskforhelp!IfIneedit.I didlearnthat.Because,inmywholelife,Iwasalwaysbigonhow, ‘Icando it,Icandoit,Icandoit.’ ButIlearnedintheworkshopthatit'sokaytoaskfor helpwhenyouneedit.” Anotherindividualrecalledanexerciseinwhichparticipantswereaskedtomapouttheirnetworksofsupport.Heexplained,
Anotherexercisetheydidwasthedifferent[socialsupport]circles,likehow youhavethecircles,andwho'sinyourcircle.Icanpicturetheworksheetin myheadnow.Mademeopenmyeyestoincorporatemoredifferentpeople intothatcircle.Howthey’reimportantforyoursuccess.
Themessageofbuildinganemotionallysupportivesocialnetworkseems tohavealastingimpactonparticipants.
Formerparticipantsalsoidentifiedtheprovisionof employmentsupport as aparticularlyusefuloutcomeoftheprogram.Someintervieweesfocusedon thesoftskillscoveredintheworkshop,suchas “howtoconductyourselfin theworkplace.” Thisalsoincluded “interpersonalrelationships,asfarasyou knowatwork,howtodealwithsituations,howtostopandevaluateand analyzesituations.Like,youjustdon'treactwhensomethinghappens. Like,sayyouhaveanargumentwithacoworker,youdon'tjustreact.You stepbackandanalyzeitandseewhat'sgoingon.” Othersexplainedhow thefacilitatorswereinstrumentalinhelpingthemidentifyjobopenings aftertheywerereleased.Oneindividualshared,
IloveAndyandJoe.Ican'texpresstheamountofgratitudethatIhaveforthose gentlemen.Andjusteverythingthatthey'vedoneforme,gettingout.LikeI said,theyhelpedmegetmypurse.Thatwasoneofthethingsthatwas anxiety-riddenonme,beingableto findthejob.AndJoejuststeppingupto theplateandjustbeinglike, “Hey,Iknowaguy.” It'sjustkindofapart timejob,butatleastit'ssomethingtobeabletohelppaymyrent.
Reviewofprogramdocumentsandin-personprogramobservationsconfirmedthatBuildingConnectionprovidesvaluableemploymentsupport. Thedistinctionbetweenshort-termandlong-termemploymentgoalsisa centralfocusoftheweekthreesessiononpreparingforthejobsearch. Facilitatorsemphasizethateventakingajobunrelatedtoone'sultimate careergoalsholdssignificantvalue,asithelpsestablishaworkhistory,demonstratereliability,andbuildafoundationforstrongprofessionalreferences. Asonefacilitatorstressed,gettingtothatlong-termcareergoalis “gonnabea
grind.Acceptit.” Suchdiscussionsseemtobevaluableinmentallypreparing individualsforthechallengestheywillencounterduringreentry.
Thefacilitatorsalsoofferverypracticaladviceonhowtomanageacriminalrecordintheemploymentsearch.Inresponsetoaparticipantquestion abouthowtoincludeprofessionalcertificationsearnedwhileincarcerated onaresume,oneofthefacilitatorsexplainedthatthecertificationcanbe listedasfromtheCommonwealthofPennsylvaniainsteadofthe PennsylvaniaDepartmentofCorrections.Thegroupalsoreviewsasample resumeincludedintheirparticipantguide,whichlistsqualificationsandrelevantexperienceinsteadofatimelineofworkhistory.Asanotherexampleof howthein-prisonworkshopsseemtobeabridgetopost-releaseservicesat thePrisonSociety,oneofthefacilitatorsemphasizedthatresumewritingis somethingtheycanhelpwithatthePrisonSocietyaftersomeonereturns home.
Theemploymentworkshopalsoprovidesanopportunityforthefacilitators toremindparticipantsabouttheimportanceofsocialsupport.Onefacilitator statedduringtheworkshop, “Justkeepinmindthatifyouhitaroughspot withemployment,giveusacallandwe’llseeifwecan findyousomething. Thereareresourcesoutthere.” Duringtheinitialinterviewwiththefacilitators,onefacilitatoracknowledgedthattheypurposefullyemphasizethe socialsupportpiecewithemployment. “Whenyouwanttoyellatyour bossandquit,doyouhavesomeonetotalkthatthroughwith?Mentoring canbethegluethathelpsthatstick.”
Anadditionaloutcomeoftheprogramthatwascommonlyraisedby formerparticipantswasthedevelopmentof activelisteningskills.Oneintervieweenotedthattheworkshop “upgradedmycommunicationskills” while anotherspecifiedthattheworkshoptaughthimthat “whensomebodyelseis speakingyouactuallylisten.You'renotthinkingaboutwhatyou'regoingto sayinresponsetowhatthey'respeaking.Likeyou’rereallylisteningtohim.” Anotherintervieweeidenti fiedallofthecommunication “tips” fromtheworkshopthathecontinuestouseinhisdailylife:
theinteractionsyouhave,eyecontact,bodyposture,listeningfullytothequestionbeforeyoucutsomebodyoff.Evenifyouknowtheanswer,justletthe wholethingplayout.Andthenberespectful,youknow,likewitheye contact,yourdemeanor,howyouactuallysitandallofthat.Theeffectthatit playsonyourcommunicationskillsandhowpeoplereceivewhatyou're tryingtosay.
Severaloftherespondentstothesurveyalsoidenti fiedactivelistening skillsasoneofthemostvaluableoutcomesfromtheworkshops.One
individualstressedhowcrucialcommunicationskillsareformanyaspectsof thereentryexperience.Heexplained,
Thetwothingsthatstandoutasmostmemorablefrommyparticipationinthe BuildingConnectionsWorkshopwouldhavetobethesessiononactivelisteningandcommunication.Ibelieveeffectivecommunicationandactivelistening skillsarecrucialinobtaining/maintainingemployment,building/maintaining relationships,networkingwithothersandnavigatingsuccessfullythroughthe paroleprocess.Oneofthereasonspeoplecomebacktoprisonorre-offendis becauseofpoorcommunicationandactivelisteningskills.Everythinginlife worksthroughrelationshipsandifwecannotbuildormaintainthemit makesitdifficulttonavigatethroughlife.I'vebeen[incarcerated]for30 yearsandduringthatIhaveseensomanyreturnbecausetheyhavenotdevelopedtheseskills.
Anotherrespondentinsteademphasizedhowcriticaltheseskillsarefor himwhileheisstillincarcerated.Heshared, “Iapplyworkshoptopics everydayhere.Mainlyactivelisteningandeffectivecommunication.For example,havingtodealwithdifferentattitudesandthoughtprocessesfrom staffandconvictalike.Also,practicingempathybyputtingmyselfin othersshoesunderstandingthatpeopledealwiththingsinsidethatwedon't knowabout.” Formerparticipantshaveseeminglyidentifiedseveralcontexts inwhichtheactivelisteningandcommunicationskillshavebeenvaluable.
TheBuildingConnectionworkshopsalsooffervaluable informationabout resourcesavailabletoindividualsaftertheirrelease,someofwhichareavailableatthePrisonSocietyandothersthatareavailableelsewhere.Several respondentsseemedtofeelreassuredbyknowingwheretheycangofor helpamidstthestressofreentry.Forexample,oneindividualindicatedthat aftertheworkshops,youknowwheretogofor “yourmentalhealth,ifyou needhelp,youknowwheretoseekhelp.Yeah,youknow,ofcourse,drugs andalcohol… Howyoucangotoanylocalhealthclinictogethelp.” Anotherintervieweealsorecalledbeinginformedaboutpost-release resources. “ThatwasgivenasBroadStreetMinistriesinformation,like resources.HetellsaboutPrisonSociety.TellingusaboutCareerLink.He wasgivingawholeplethoraofthings.”
Oneindividualalsoemphasizedhowthereweresomanyresourcesthat “it waslikeanetwork” ofsupports.Workshopobservationsconfirmthatthe facilitatorspurposefullycommunicateaboutpost-releaseresourcesusing thisnetworkframework.Whenexplainingwhatiscoveredinweekone,a facilitatorstatedthatthey “emphasizethatourgoalistoincreasetheir networkofsupport.We’renotajobplacementorganizationorahousing organization,butwehavelotsoforganizationsthatwe’reconnectedtothat
wecanmakereferralsto.” Duringtheweek five finalsession,thefacilitators oftenhavetwostaffmembersfromanotherPhiladelphia-basedreentryservice organizationattendthesessiontosharealloftheresourcestheycanprovide post-release.Accordingtoonefacilitator,thisorganization'sparticipationhas anaddedbenefitthatthestaffare “familiarfacesthattheycan find,[and]an organizationwecanvouchforwhentheycomehome.”
Reviewofprogramdocumentsandin-personworkshopobservationsalso verifythatBuildingConnectionprovidesaplethoraofpost-releaseresources. Forexample,intheweekthreemoduleonemploymentandeducation,the participantguideincludesmultiplepagesofresourcesdetailingwhereindividualscangoforassistancewithaGED,college,vocationaltrainingand jobreadiness,andeven financialaid.Inadditiontothewrittenresources listed,onefacilitatoralsoremindsparticipantsthattheycancometothe PrisonSocietyforreferralstoeducationandemploymentassistance.He tellsthegroup, “Whencominghome,Icandefinitelyconnectyoutowhatever you’reinterestedin.” Similarly,duringtheweekfourmodule,thereare severalpagesofcontactinformationintheparticipantguideforprimary healthcare,mentalhealthcare,andaddictionresources.
ItisalsocriticallyimportantthattheBuildingConnectionworkshopdoes notsimplyprovideinformationaboutresourcesthatcanbeaccessedpostrelease,butthatthefacilitatorsserveasasourceof long-termsupport followingreleaseintothecommunity.Oneoftheintervieweeshadbeenhomefor nearlyayear,butstillemphasizedhowmuchthefacilitatorscheckinon him.Heexplained, “Ourconnectionisstillthereandstrong….Like,I’m done,I'mout,I’msemi-successful.Butthey'restillconcerned.Theystill wanttomaintaintheirfriendship.Theyknowtomakesureeverything's goingokay.” Anotherparticipantpointedoutthat “thereisnotimelimit [ontheprogram].Thereisno ‘you'reonlygoingtohaveusforsixmonths andafterthesixmonths,youknow,wedon'tknow.’”
Inobservationsoftheworkshops,thefacilitatorsappeartobequiteintentionalaboutmakingsuretheycanmaintaincontactwithparticipantsafterthe workshopsend.Whilepeoplearestillincarcerated,theymaintaincontactvia theDepartmentofCorrection'sonlinemessagingplatformandoncesomeone isreleased,theycanstayintouchviathephone.Oneofthesurveyrespondentsexplainedhowvaluablethislong-termcontactis:
QualitiesI’vefoundmosthelpfulwashowthefacilitatorsreachedouttome throuqhanapp[theDOCmessagingplatform]whenmostpeopletendtoforget aboutyouwhenyourlockedup,thattakes ‘TimeandEffort’,thatsaqreatquality.
Overall,itisclearthatBuildingConnectionprovidesparticipantswitha varietyofemotionalandinstrumentalsupportsinboththeshort-andlong-term.
Discussion
ThisprocessevaluationoftheBuildingConnectionworkshopshighlights severalkeycomponentsthatalignwithexistingscholarshiponeffective reentryprogramming.Theprogram'sintegrationofemotionalandinstrumentalsupport,sustainedrelationalengagement,andcommunity-basedcontinuityreflectsmanyoftheprinciplesemphasizedinpriorstudiesof mentoringandreentryinterventions(Brown&Ross,2010;Koschmann& Peterson,2013;Serinetal.,2010).Participants’ reflectionssuggestthat themostvaluableaspectsoftheprogramarenotlimitedtoitscontent, butratherthecontextinwhichthatcontentisdelivered namely,asafe, respectfulspaceledbyrelatableandsincerefacilitatorswhocultivatetrust andopenness.
The findingsaffirmtheimportanceofbalancingemotionalandinstrumentalsupport,athemeconsistentlyhighlightedinthereentrymentoringliterature.Emotionalsupportemergedthroughparticipants ’ descriptionsof feelinggenuinelycaredfor,listenedto,andtreatedasequals.Instrumental supportwasevidentinthejobreadinessguidance,resourcereferrals,and practicalskillsemphasizedthroughouttheworkshops.Thisdualfocus allowsparticipantstoaddresstheemotionaltollofreentrywhilealsobuilding tangibletoolsfornavigatingthestructuralbarrierstheyface.
Anothercriticalstrengthoftheprogramisitscontinuityofcaremodel. Consistentwithpriorresearchshowingthebenefitsofpre-andpost-release support(Seiter&Kadela,2003;Serinetal.,2010),BuildingConnection beginsinprisonbutcontinuesbeyondreleasethroughone-on-onementoring, peersupportgroups,andongoingfacilitatoroutreach.Participantsclearly valuedthissustainedconnection,oftendescribingitasrareorevenunexpected.Inacorrectionalcontextwhereprogramsoftenendattheprison gate,thisongoingsupportdistinguishesBuildingConnectionasapromising exampleofrelationalcontinuityinreentrywork.
Thebarrierstoeffectivementoringidentifiedinpreviousresearchalsohelp explainwhyBuildingConnectionwasperceivedpositivelybyparticipants. Severalcommonpitfalls suchasmentorsbeingseenasinstitutional agents,lackingsharedexperience,orbehavinginpaternalisticways appeartobeavoidedwithBuildingConnection.Onefacilitator'spersonal experiencewithincarcerationandtheother'sdeepempathyandconsistency allowedbothtobeseenasauthentic,trustworthy,andinvestedinparticipants’ success.Moreover,thevoluntarynatureoftheprogramhelpedensurethat participantswereengagedbychoiceratherthanmandate,mitigatingtheperceptionofmentoringasaformofsurveillance(Maruna&LeBel,2003; Taylor,2020,2023).
AsBuildingConnectionconsidersexpansiontoadditionalcorrectional facilitiesorothersimilarprogramsconsiderreplicatingBuilding Connection'swork,severalprinciplesshouldguideimplementationtopreserveprogram fidelityandintegrity.First,facilitatorqualitiesmustremain central.Thesuccessofthecurrentmodelappearsdeeplytiedtothefacilitators’ relatability,honesty,andcommitment.Hiringandtrainingfacilitators whocanmodelthesecharacteristics ideallyincludingthosewithlivedexperience willbeessential.Second,expansioneffortsshouldlikelymaintain theprogram's flexible,discussion-basedstructure,whichallowsparticipants toconnectpersonallywiththematerialandwithoneanother.Whilewritten guidesandscenario-basedactivitiescanbestandardized,therelationaltone andopenspacecreatedbyfacilitatorscannotbeeasilyreplicatedwithout thoughtfulpreparation.Third,theprogram'sconnectiontolong-term supportshouldremainacorefeature.Expansionshouldnotbelimitedto in-prisonworkshopsalone,butshouldincludesustainedcontactwith mentorsorsupportnetworksinthecommunity.Asthisstudydemonstrates, participantsperceivelong-termengagementasoneofthemostmeaningful aspectsoftheirexperience.
Limitations
Despitetheinsightsforprogramexpansionorreplicationoffered,thisstudy hasseveralnoteworthylimitations.First,thestudyreliesonqualitativedata fromarelativelysmallsample,includingsevenformerlyincarceratedindividualsand16surveyrespondentswhoremainedincarcerated.Whiletheir insightsarerichanddeeplyinformative,theydonotallowforgeneralizations tobroaderpopulationsorquantitativemeasurementoflong-termoutcomes suchasrecidivismoremployment.Second,becausefacilitatorswereinvolved inidentifyingparticipantsforinterviews,thereispotentialforselectionbias. Thosewhomaintainedaconnectiontotheprogrampost-releasemayhave hadmorepositiveexperiencesthanthosewhodisengaged.Despitetheselimitations,thisevaluationoffersmeaningfulinsightsintotheimplementation andreceptionofBuildingConnectionandcontributestothegrowingbody ofliteratureonrelationship-basedreentryprogramming.
Conclusion
TheBuildingConnectionprogramoffersacompellingexampleofwhat reentrysupportcanlooklikewhengroundedindignity,trust,andhumanconnectionratherthanthetraditionalsurveillanceandcontrol.Whileitoperates withintheconstraintsofacarceralsystem,theprogrampushesagainst
punitivenormsbycenteringcare,livedexperience,andauthenticrelationships.Itsstructureillustrateshowsupportnetworksrootedincommunity notcoercion canplayatransformativeroleinthelivesofthosereturning home.Asweenvisionfuturesbeyondmassincarceration,programslike BuildingConnectionremindusthatmeaningfulchangebeginsbyvaluing people,notjustmanagingthem.
DeclarationofConflictingInterests
Theauthordeclarednopotentialconflictsofinterestwithrespecttotheresearch, authorship,and/orpublicationofthisarticle.
Funding
Theauthorreceivedno financialsupportfortheresearch,authorship,and/orpublicationofthisarticle.
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AuthorBiography
CaitlinJ.Taylor
,Ph.D.isanassociateprofessoratLaSalleUniversitywhereshe teachescoursesonmassincarceration,restorativejustice,andcorrections.Her researchinterestsincludeabolitionmovements,reentry,andcommunity-driven researchpartnerships.