Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [539]
From the generic list of obstacles raised (e.g., my family does not accept or support me, people look down on me, I am easily influenced by my negative peers, I don’t know how or I am not ready to change, I have no positive role model), it became evident that while many inmates had acquired valuable technical and soft job skills (e.g., IT, communication, and interview skills) and underwent targeted rehabilitation to overcome specific types of negative behavior (e.g., anger management, drug addiction) during their prison stay, not all were mentally prepared to face society regardless of whether they had a ready job in hand.
For most, what was missing was the confidence and conviction that they could properly reintegrate into their family and the workforce upon release. This was not surprising, given that many had repeatedly tried and failed, leading to a history of multiple offenses. For the majority, prison was not an uncharted path. From an early age, they had unsuccessfully navigated through the maze of correctional facilities leading to their present situation. Many had come from dysfunctional home environments with little or no family support, leading to a heavy reliance on negative peers to provide a sense of identity and belonging. The resulting lack of positive role models provided a distorted sense of values and justification of what would normally be regarded as negative behavior.
For others, prison provided a false sense of security, away from the stress and pressures of daily life. In the wry words of one TOC participant, “All our major needs such as housing, food and medical, even new glasses, are provided for.” Many doubted their ability to survive financially without support from “easy money” gained from illicit activities and worried about their lack of willpower to withstand the myriad of external social pressures needed for sustainable change. Despite a desire to change, they knew their personal limitations and battled inner demons to overcome familiar temptations as their release date drew near.
Even for those determined to start afresh, they questioned their likelihood of finding “good” friends to lead a normal life. Despite the prospect of a secure job to meet their basic monetary needs, this was overshadowed by internal fears that they would be stigmatized and shunned by bosses, colleagues, family, and society, leading to loss of motivation to change and eventual relapse.
Some of these issues are discussed in detail in the following sections.
Stigmatization
The Yellow Ribbon Project,4 a community rehabilitation project targeted at helping ex-offenders reintegrate back into society, has done remarkably well in dealing with the more tangible issues ex-offenders face post-release such as finding a job. Many ex-inmates, however, still feel discriminated against by society due to their past prison record. Commonly described as “their second prison,” this refers to their psychological and social imprisonment upon release with the “keys” held by the ex-offender’s family, friends, neighbors, employers, colleagues, and the community at large. How much is this perception as opposed to reality? What is the extent of this stigmatization?
At Work
Work is an important component in the rehabilitative process for offenders. Gainful employment contributes to the lowering of the recidivism rate by boosting their self-esteem by being able to earn a living to support their families. While tremendous support is provided by the government to facilitate job placement for pre-release inmates, many unfortunately still choose to view the opportunity as discriminatory due to the blue collar, entry-level nature of the positions despite predefined promotion prospects depending on performance.
This faulty starting