Re-entry, Identity, and Narrative Reframing

In the addiction field there is a condition, or phenomenon, called the “dry drunk.”  It refers to a person who no longer drinks, but has not dealt with the underlying emotions, anxieties, and distress that led to drinking in the first place.  The dry drunk is miserable to himself and the people around him.  The dry drunk is also highly vulnerable to relapse.  While this is frequent for drug and alcohol matters, it can also occur with any problem behavior; e.g., gambling and various forms of criminality.  Thus, for a released prisoner the criminal behavior may cease, but the underlying personal framework may remain, and thereby yields one who is miserable and vulnerable to relapse (recidivism).

            Alisa Stevens of University of Southampton (UK) writes about identity reconstruction and narrative reframing in prison therapeutic communities (TCs).  She conducted qualitative research on the experiences of the TC inmates.  What is essential to her findings is that the TC environment encouraged inmates to explore their own and each other’s personal narratives.  These narratives were perceived by the inmates to be their source identity.  As they also encountered a TC environment that ran contrary to those narratives (responsible, free, and equal) and related to each other in new, socially supportive ways, they progressively adjusted their personal narratives. Consequently, most inmates presented a reconstructed identity in the end. Stevens offers many direct quotes, but here is a short one that typifies their experiences:

I’ve become here the person I’ve always wanted to be; the person that’s always been there underneath but was scared to come out and got covered up with all the bollocks of my lifestyle and attitudes … I am the person now I was always meant to be, but who got lost somewhere along the way.

            As Stevens notes, the “creation of a temporary ‘escape’ identity in prison is admittedly unremarkable.”  But these instances were bolstered by other discerned indicators of rehabilitation and thus, more than simply unilateral declarations of “reform.”  Steven’s findings are bolstered further by a large-scale study conducted by the Urban Institute.  The Urban Institute looked at the effectiveness of re-entry services on recidivism over three years.  In particular, they divided re-entry services into two broad categories:  (1) skills development and (2) personal development.  The skills development type services showed negligible effects, whereas personal development services showed very significant reductions in recidivism.  This suggests, again, that things that can influence personal narratives and identity frameworks are likely keys to successful re-entry.

            Based on his research, Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate, describes us as having two selves:  (1) an experiencing self, and (2) a remembering self.  The experiencing self works in chunks of 3-5 seconds.  Whatever transpires via the experiencing self is lost, except for what the remembering self holds on to.  The remembering self preserves memories by creating narrative stories.  The collection of narratives, in turn, creates who we are.  Identity.

Importantly, it is the remembering self who makes decisions. And it makes decisions based not on the experiences we have, but based on the future memories we want to have. For example, a woman willingly goes through childbirth even though the pain is worse than passing a kidney stone.  Or consider that you could choose between two vacations, but one of them entails the destruction of all your pictures and a wipe out of your memory of the vacation.  Would you choose the vacation that offers no memory despite that it is filled with great experiences?  Probably not.

            So, in our psyche we have a “script writer” that creates narratives about ourselves.  Narrative therapy is predicated on the notion that we can get in touch with and influence our script writer.  We do so by externalizing our stories out loud and examining our narratives.  These narratives can then be challenged against competing truths, rationale, and desirability.  Those challenges can lead to reframing of the narratives.  After a bit of narrative reframing, one may experience a reconstructed identity.  A reconstructed identity is a powerful force for change.  For a case in point, ask the Evangelical who is “Born Again.” 

            One doesn’t need to be a licensed therapist to be helpful in this regard.  Be a good listener.  That means listening with nonjudgmental curiosity.  Help the person externalize their story(ies).  The main idea is to get them to tell a story that is not aimed at your approval, but one that is aimed at learning about themselves.  The more they do this, the more likely they will gain insights about themselves. As they find the part of themselves that writes the scripts, they will begin to reformulate their personal narrative.  Eventually, they will have created a new identity that is untethered and unburdened by a criminal past.  One that is free to create a new future.

            Similarly, it is a great help to provide opportunities for re-entrants to make new and positive memories.  The best opportunities lie in building relationships.  Experiencing competency also creates positive memories.  Help us at Amiracle4sure, Inc. provide these opportunities with your charitable gifts and volunteer efforts.

The Challenges of Reentry - Basic Needs

This first Blog is about the challenges of reentry, and it outlines the basic needs of persons returning from prison to the community.  Subsequent Blogs will delve deeper into each area to examine both problems and opportunities.  These will seek a deeper understanding of the matters at hand and find an appreciation for the efforts of Amiracle4sure, Inc.

At the outset, a person released from prison has immediate needs for transportation, food, clothing, personal identification, and some minimal amount of cash on hand.  Before the first day is through, they will also need a place to shelter. These are the sorts of things that a family could provide.  Many released prisoners, however, don’t have the luxury of a supportive family.  Many ex-offenders have estranged family ties.  Worse still, many have a dysfunctional family that was a gateway to crime and/or substance abuse.  Without some kind of support network, the returning citizen is vulnerable to victimization and/or opportunity for crime.

The basic needs are not only immediate, but they are also intertwined in complex ways.  Housing is a fundamental need.  If one has worries about where they might sleep tonight, it’s not likely they can concentrate on seeking a job or pursuing education.  Furthermore, without an address, it’s not likely that they could be hired anyway.  On the other hand, without a steady income, it’s not likely that one can get a signed lease.  In addition, without transportation, one cannot get from home to work in a reliable way.  In the meantime, one must eat, launder clothes, get personal identification, and take care of things like debt, restitution, and parole stipulations.

Employment is the key driver for the ability to meet most of the basic needs of life in the community.  It provides the steady income required to get along.  It also provides self-efficacy and self-sufficiency to support oneself without reliance on family or handouts, or needing to resort to criminal activities.  Furthermore, employment often provides a new social network that supports positive behavior and serves as a protective factor against future criminal activity.

Obtaining employment, however, represents one of the greatest barriers to reintegrating into the community.  The majority of ex-offenders have limited employment skills and experience, plus an incomplete education.  Some have these things but lack the proper credentials to prove it.  As noted above, the other basic needs put a drag on a job applicant’s readiness for employment.  And not least, the “stigma” of incarceration puts a strain on a job applicant’s appeal to some employers.  Indeed, certain careers may formally prohibit hiring persons with criminal histories.

All the basic needs above pertain to “external” factors.  But “man cannot live on bread alone.”  Each of us have deeper “internal” issues about who we are and the meaning of life.  For those of us who don’t have pressing needs of external factors, we can contemplate our internal circumstances with some leisure and thoughtfulness.  The ex-offender has much to contemplate, but little leisure for thoughtfulness.  Nevertheless, the task of sorting out these internal issues remains compelling and essential to one’s well-being.  We noted above how important (but lacking) a supportive family could be.  That goes for both the external factors AND especially the internal issues.  In this regard, Amiracle4sure is somewhat of a surrogate family for ex-offenders.  We provide for both the basic external needs and the deeper internal needs.