In my original genre I focus on the topic of mental health in the U.S Prison System highlighting how a disproportionate number of those within our prisons have some form of mental health condition. Drawing attention to the obstacles to obtaining access to mental health treatment in a restrictive environment and whether more rehabilitative environments have an impact on mental health through analyzing scholarly research on this subject.
The exigency of my revised genre is in response to recidivism rates in South Carolina at 23.1 percent according to a report from the South Carolina Department of Corrections; however this is a steady decrease from previous statistics from the last few decades. The Department of Corrections details how this is largely in part due to the prioritization of increased reforms and reentry programs which displays how these resources display levels of success in reducing recidivism. Through my remix I draw attention to alternative programs that focus on rehabilitation to counteract issues of recidivism and broader problems of mass incarceration as well as overcrowding in our prisons. I aimed to do this through bringing attention to reentry and rehabilitative resources for formerly incarcerated people that give them skill sets to better their lives and reintegrate into their communities.
Within my genre remix I decided to focus on what resources are out there for those returning from prison or have been formerly incarcerated who are in need of mental health resources and support. I decided to focus on the Charleston area because it pertains to those returning from incarceration to our community and I have not seen a brochure of such resources for the Charleston area before. I decided to transform the previous genre with the idea to create an informative brochure compiling programs which I found would be most useful for rehabilitative services and specifically targeted towards those returning from prison. My goal is that this would bring information to those who are in need of support whether this be mental health counseling, reentry classes, and other forms of skill training or job assistance to those who may be unaware of resources outside of the justice system.
One such Charleston based resource for those who have been formerly incarcerated included in the brochure, Turn 90 Project details on their webpage that within the U.S Prison system as a whole “62% of people are rearrested within three years of release”. In their 2023 annual report they detailed how 93% of individuals in their program had improved emotion regulation skills and 90% were able to manage difficult situations better. Detailing their commitment to cognitive behavioral therapies and classes which assist formerly incarcerated people to be successful. Another program I included Jumpstart South Carolina offers a restorative housing community for ex offenders to assist them with reentry, offering therapeutic and counseling services to the formerly incarcerated. These resources are extremely useful because some individuals returning from prison face various obstacles upon release including struggles to find stable housing and employment opportunities. Within programs such as Turn 90 they also have a print shop which employs those who are formerly incarcerated within their program and also helps them transition into permanent employment.
When composing my brochure I further took into consideration the type of design that would best display this content and stand out to the readers. Especially when it came to the layout I took the information I gathered on various programs and condensed it down into easily consumable information detailing the types of resources offered and how to get into contact with the program. Areas this brochure could be improved upon is by incorporating statistics that display the success of these programs in helping formerly incarcerated people to secure a job and future opportunities, further highlighting their impact.
Some limitations I experienced in my research was the fact that there were a limited number of resources targeted towards those who have been incarcerated post release. This points to greater issues of the availability of these therapeutic and reentry resources for formerly incarcerated people in the Charleston area. According to the Prison Policy Initiative there are 32,000 people in South Carolina behind bars which is higher than the national state average. Despite this there is a limited number of outside reentry programs that provide support to those who have been incarcerated which can contribute to cycles of imprisonment.
Statistics have shown how post release rehabilitative programs pave the way to reducing these cycles of returning to prison. Most notably the Turn 90 Projects statistics showcase that only 22% of all graduates from the Turn 90 program are rearrested in contrast to the national recidivism average of 62%. Programs such as Turn90 are also a cost efficient solution to more punitive measures with their annual report detailing they “save the community four hundred thousand dollars each year” by helping to keep “At – Risk” individuals from returning to prison. This data suggests how if these programs were implemented on a wider scale it would be transformative to the justice system.
Brochure of Rehabilitative Resources
“Annual Report.” Turn Ninety , Turn90, turnninety.com/annual-report/.
“South Carolina Profile.” Prison Policy Initiative, Prison Policy Initiative, www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/SC.html.
“Recidivism Press Release.” South Carolina Industries, South Carolina Department of Corrections, scdcindustries.sc.gov/sites/scdcindustries/files/Documents/Recidivism Press Release – Chrysti Shain Sept 2020.pdf
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