Miscellaneous

Inmate and Family Reunion: Only a Mediation Away

By Anne Skove, Esq.

When inmates are released, the system (sometimes) prepares them to enter the workforce and somehow live a better life. But how are inmates prepared to reunite with their families?

In Maryland, community organizing czarina Lorig Charkoudian has the answer: mediation.

Re-entry programs are nothing new. Even tough on crime politicians have put forth money to fund them. But this program appears to take a different approach. Mediators facilitate between the inmate and a person with whom the inmate will have contact with out the outside -- a significant other, parent, etc.

While no recidivism data is available (yet -- they're working on it), family conflicts apparently rank with substance abuse and unemployment as reasons for poor re-entry.

Mediation gives people the opportunity to reconnect, apologize, and smooth over conflicts before release. Inmates also learn conflict resolution skills.

See Program Preps Inmates for Return to Families Heather Keels, Herald Mail (April 13, 2009). (If it's any sign of the bipartisanship behind re-entry, the Washington Times picked up this story.)

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on May 10, 2009 (boomark / email).