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Gateways to Community
Re-Entry Mazes

If you’ve just been released from prison, chances are you’re
simultaneously elated, anxious, and needy. You might also be real-
istic since this may not be your first time in an incarceration/release
maze and could become a disappointing merry-go-round. Unfortunate-
ly, the odds are probably against your success (70 percent) since you’re
entering the world with many strikes against you and without a lifeboat
to keep you afloat: unstable housing, no job, little education, limited
work experience, addiction issues, child support and restitution pay-
ments, anger issues, and maybe no ID. And you probably don’t look like
you’re headed for success by the way you dress, conduct yourself, and
display some questionable body art. Big smile, good eye contact, and
firm handshake? What limited gate money you received will probably
be gone in no time on transportation, cigarettes, and other expenses.
Welcome to the free world where life can be tough.

Welcome to the Great Churn

Life may initially appear free, but it can be very hard and frustrating for
those who must struggle over the basics of daily living. Indeed, you may
soon get caught up in the great churn of the criminal justice system:
failing to follow the rules governing your release (parole/probation) or
unable to handle life on the outside, you soon succumb to temptations
of your old neighborhood and circle of dubious friends that result in you
returning to jail or prison.

You become another recidivism statistic, and confirm once again that
you are part of a dysfunctional criminal justice system. It’s an old pat-
tern, and unfortunately it plays out every day in hundreds of commu-

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