Spotlight on Criminal Justice: National Rebuild Your Life Month – June
Many of us traditionally think of January 1 as a time to rebuild certain aspects of our lives. The phrase “New Year, New You” is ubiquitous, as are the efforts to join a gym, eat healthier, and reduce alcohol intake. It’s a time of reflection, as we evaluate what no longer serves us and what we hope to improve in the upcoming year. For early Christians, the tradition was rooted in identifying past mistakes and resolving to do better in the future—a particularly relevant sentiment for people involved in the criminal justice system.
Despite our best intentions, efforts to rebuild portions of our life are often short-lived, with the average resolution lasting less than four months. June is National Rebuild Your Life month, representing a renewed opportunity for people to assess their current circumstances and make positive changes. For the millions of people who are under the care, custody, and control of the legal system and for those engaging in activities that will likely bring them to the attention of the legal system, putting in the work to rebuild one’s life, one small step at a time, could mean the difference between freedom and incarceration—or even life and death.
Rebuild Your Life Month and Legal System Involvement
The initial observation of June as Rebuild Your Life Month began, “as a beacon of hope and renewal for those needing a fresh start,” specifically to support adults dealing with the impact of childhood neglect or abuse. The vision was for people to discover inner strength, take control of their lives, and make decisions that contribute to their overall well-being.
All too often, people who have suffered abuse or neglect end up in the criminal justice system. Maladaptive coping skills like engaging in drug or alcohol use, and other negative turning points, such as housing or job loss, arrest, incarceration, loss of custody of children, or fractured relationships, can push people toward crime and recidivism. Reentry from jail or prison is one of the more “fundamental and concrete turning points a person can experience,” which is why supporting reentrants in their effort to rebuild their lives is critical to improving public safety.
The mission of adult probation and parole departments is to help reentrants and people on community supervision make necessary changes to rebuild aspects of their life, which benefits both the individual and improves public safety. Using motivational interviewing, officers are supposed to engage people in conversations to evaluate the behaviors that contribute to their system involvement, assist them as they move through the stages of change, and encourage them to adopt behaviors that support their desistance from crime.
The goal of motivational interviewing is to help people develop the intrinsic desire to create and maintain behavioral change. Positive turning points, such as completing drug or alcohol treatment, obtaining employment, securing housing, or regaining custody of a child, can pull people away from criminality and recidivism. Achieving stability in housing, employment, and relationships with supportive family members cultivates social bonds that reduce the likelihood of continued crime.
Innovative Approaches
While traditional forms of probation or parole supervision are more focused on monitoring and supervision as a way to protect public safety, diversion programs incentivize people to rebuild their lives by addressing the root causes of community instability. One example is the Spokane City Community Court, which offers comprehensive resources, such as behavioral health counseling, housing, health care, education, and employment assistance, to help individuals achieve self-sufficiency. Services are available to people who are not involved in the legal system and to those who have committed low-level, non-violent offenses like pedestrian interference. Operating out of a local library every Monday, the court holds individuals accountable while connecting them to the services they need to become law-abiding.
Spokane holds a biannual warrant fest that offers people the opportunity to have their misdemeanor or felony bench warrant quashed and their case updated. In addition to addressing open warrants, the event also provides a number of services in a centralized location, including free haircuts, medical screening and treatment, pet care vouchers, food and housing assistance, identification restoration, voter registration, and other critical resources people need to rebuild their lives. In an interview with Spokane City Assistant Prosecutor David Kling, who oversees the community court, he stated, “You can’t quantify how many lives we’ve saved with this program over the years, but I know for a fact that we have, and we will continue to do so.”
For people reentering the community after jail or prison, reentry coalitions and reentry councils can be another great way to get back on your feet. Individuals can also dial “2-1-1” in many states to be connected to essential community services.
Creating Sustainable Change
When trying to achieve an objective, establishing smaller, short-term goals is usually a more sustainable approach than setting lofty, unrealistic expectations. For example, when trying to lose weight, instead of trying to burn off 20 pounds all at once, setting a weekly goal of one to two pounds is less daunting. In the legal context, if a person is required to complete a treatment program, a more practical approach is to focus on scheduling the initial appointment within one week and then sticking to a regular appointment schedule. Or, if a person has to complete 100 hours of community service within 6 months, setting a goal of 4 hours per week is more manageable than trying to finish it all within the first month. The key is to thoughtfully plan SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Rebuilding one’s life begins with the acknowledgment of what led to the current situation and processing the events that have transpired. Having a clear vision of what one wants their life to look like and breaking down SMART goals into smaller, actionable items can help bring about meaningful change. Sharing these goals with friends and family can keep individuals accountable and provide the additional support they need to be successful, and stay out of the system. Prioritizing self-care and celebrating the progress along the way can also increase the likelihood of sustained change.
Conclusion
The difficulty of initiating and sustaining positive change, especially while ensnared in the legal system, cannot be overstated. Considering that only 8 percent of Americans achieve their New Year’s resolutions, it is unsurprising that many people with the additional barriers of a criminal record and court-ordered terms of supervision struggle to rebuild their lives. The majority of people who are incarcerated or on community supervision also suffer from issues of poverty, substance use, or mental health. So, while the need for them to rebuild their life is great, so too are the difficulties they face in doing so. It is imperative that policymakers support individuals who have resolved to take control of their lives, improve their decision-making, enhance their well-being, and be law-abiding citizens. When it comes to folks with a criminal record, their success is our success. Our communities are safer when we support their efforts to rebuild their lives.