It's the Journey, Not the Destination

Prison re-entry should not begin as you prepare to leave, it should begin as you enter the system. It seems that we most often focus on the last few months of our sentence when we think of re-entering society and starting over. I find this was of thinking to be flawed. We are harming ourselves most of all if we do not take advantage of every single opportunity that is available to us. Re-entry should be about how we have evolved throughout our entire sentence. If we take our time and truly examine where we’ve been, what we’ve done, and change our thinking patterns, success is ours for the taking. We spend so much time with criminal thinking that we forget critical thinking.

Set goals that are small and attainable larger goals should be set in the future and most importantly, realistic. If you expect too much, too fast and you don’t achieve it then re-offense becomes more likely. There is a large group of former DC7 inmates who gather on Facebook to gossip, communicate and just be social. This is the perfect platform to share information on companies who hire ex-offenders, assistance in housing, child care, education and any other benefits you may be eligible for. We need a database for all of this information and I would like to be able to facilitate something of this nature. There is a lot to be said for the emotional support and camaraderie that can be derived from a social media group such as this. No one can understand the rollercoaster of re-entry more than someone who has already been there. Our destination will always change as we elevate ourselves from where we’ve been. This is why you should not stay focused on the destination but revel in the journey.

- Stacey Tuck