WHEN discussing mental health, stigma is often mentioned. However, sometimes we forget the generality of stigma and how many individuals and situations it can affect.
I was reminded today of a conversation I had with an individual who was recently released from a five-year prison sentence. He was explaining how difficult it was to reintegrate back into society and just “normal life.” Honestly, the reason for entering prison rarely matters, because most individuals are released and if we do not take it as a societal responsibility to help these individuals better integrate, then repeat offences are the most probable outcome, and no one benefits from that.

Many believe and repeat the common saying, “do the crime so do the time.” However, for many, even the time is not good enough for society. Right now, what ex-prisoners face is an environment that actively deters them from becoming productive members of society. The truth is, for some individuals, the sentence never ends as the difficulty that offenders face after re-entering the world feels like an extended punishment. However, we, as a society, can change this.
After released, there are so many issues to face such as stigma, unemployment, and inability to gain employment, relationship concerns, homelessness, and inability to gain access to even a sub-par living situation and the list goes on and on.

If you are just out of prison and are having difficulty rehabilitating, I hope this makes the transition a little easier for you as well as encourages those around you to do their best to make the process easier for you.
Many prisoners come out and are unwelcomed in their previous homes and have financial constraints due to a stigmatized unlikelihood to become employed. For some as well, there needs to be more access to alcohol and substance-abuse treatment. Are there any entities that provide released prisoners job training? I genuinely do not know, if you do, please write to me so we can all figure out a way to support them.

These are people who will have difficulty navigating a world that they have been secluded from for years or even decades. The stigma and judgement — as many do not truly believe in rehabilitation — are responsible for recidivism, which is the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend. That stigma even extends to educational opportunities which automatically decreases chances of true rehabilitation. For example, I recently applied for an online academic programme and on my application was a question of whether I have ever been convicted of a crime. This was for an online course that people can do quietly in their own home, just to better themselves. Why does a criminal record matter in that situation? Why is society not promoting personal and educational growth? I can think of very few and specific scenarios where the education you choose to have would matter based on the crime. For example, if someone was accused and convicted of child molestation and upon release did training in childcare, yes that may be a red flag. However, institutions ask for a criminal record for general and basic courses and it is the wrong and backward thing to do.

While I do not know if Guyana collects these sorts of statistics, recent data collection of the United States revealed that within three years of release, 68% of ex-offenders are rearrested and within five years, 77% are rearrested. And yes, I do believe that stigma and society’s lack of support play a major role. Further to that, the Bureau of Justice surveyed hundreds of companies and only 12.5% of employers said that they would accept an application from an ex-convict. How many employers in Guyana feel the same way? If you do, I hope you reconsider as this is completely counter-productive as employment directly decreases recidivism/reoffending.

If you are newly released from prison and want to rehabilitate, I know how difficult reintegration is and I’m here to help you if you need it. I know how structured and controlled incarcerated life is and while some may think ex-prisoners completely enjoy their freedom, many actually have difficulty with this newfound control and don’t know where to begin to piece their life back together. However, do not lose hope or allow others to feel like a victim. Becoming a positive contribution to society takes intentionality, motivation, time, effort and productivity — all things that you as an individual are in control of.

Start with small steps. Make a list of things you would like to accomplish, practise healthy coping skills, see what jobs you are qualified for, find mentors and others who are healthy to be around and will keep you on the right path. Most importantly, just take it one day at a time.
What can friends and families do? Studies show that prisoners who maintain healthy relationships while in and out of prison are less likely to re-offend. I know the local prison system does not allow for this to easily happen, as there are many barriers which include proximity to prison facilities, little to no visiting hours and just the general inhospitality. However, where it’s warranted, please try to overcome the years of limited contact, potential resentment and whatever else there may be with your newly released friend or family member. Also where and whenever you can facilitate productivity – a newly released individual will have a lot of free time. What can you do that will healthily fill this time?

As a friend or family member, one should know the nearest available resources and share them with our newly released as being in prison can certainly be a trigger for mental and physical health issues. These can be government entities, hospitals, NGOs, churches and so forth.

For the Guyana Prison System, I have only a few words. In 2017, the US Department of Justice discovered that one dollar spent on prison education saves approximately four dollars on re-incarceration costs.
To the newly released — keep your head up. Many of us are rooting for you and are here to support you.

Thank you for reading and please continue to send any suggested topic to caitlinvieira@gmail.com