I have just finished reading “Beyond Bars: Rejoining Society After Prison”, a sort of “what to do after prison for dummies”. It is a step by step description of what to expect when you get released, and how to survive on the outside. It is co-authored by two professors, Jeffrey Ian Ross and Stephen C. Richards. Mr. Richards served nine years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He was in nine different federal prisons. He is now a professor of criminal justice. Mr. Ross is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice, College of Public Affairs, and a Research Fellow of the Center for International and Comparative Law.
This book details the trials and tribulations of Joe and Jill Inmate after their release from prison. Their fictional stories are a conglomerate of different experiences inmates encounter. Few know before hand that their dreams of a perfect life on the outside is not how real life is.
Real life always presents problems, and it presents even more if you have FELON tattooed on your resume. This book has real life solutions for the inmates who are getting out, and the families and loved ones of those inmates. Life has changed while the inmate serves his or her time. Lots of things change in relationships, technology and general life while they are incarcerated, particularly if they are in for a long time. People move on and may have found other relationships, or perhaps the inmate’s family does not trust that they can make a decent life. Maybe their children have grown to dislike them. These are just a few of the problems they may encounter. Add to that, the fact that they may not have a place to live or any money to survive on, and the problems they may encounter increase.
This book has suggestions and solutions for the problems. It describes the different types of halfway houses and the problems inherent with each of the different types. It even suggests the released felon not get a vehicle, as police run plates all the time, and driving a car could lead to problems. It talks about how to get a job, how to create a resume and how to dress for an interview. There are many other suggestions and solutions for how to act and survive without going back to prison.
If your loved one is close to release, I suggest you get this book for them. Sure, they may know some of what is talked about or even most of it, but they will find a confirmation of what to expect and solutions for problems. It is an excellent reminder that they need to prepare for life on the outside, not just get out and fall into their old routines, which will get them back in prison very quickly.
Listen up…your loved one can make a decent life out there. It can happen, but it takes work, diligence and the ability to keep a peaceful mind in the face of adversity.
Information for Friends and Family of Inmates 
I had no idea when I typed “prison” in the tag box that I would find any results, let alone one as truthful as yours. As the mother of a son currently incarcerated, I thank you.
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I got out 13 years ago after doing 9 years. I remember the day I got out I was in the grocery store and someone put bananas on the scale during a self checkout. The machine said “Bananas” and some other thing about how much they weighed, and I fell into a crying fit. I felt like I’d walked from the Flintstones into the Jetsons with no warning. I did not ever hear of self check out on the few television shows we watched in Prison. I’d never seen nor held a debit card, I didn’t know how to pump gas because when I was out, people did it for you! And if you chose to do it yourself, you just flipped the lever, there were no buttons to push. I’d never seen a cell phone nor gotten on the internet. Once I found Yahoo groups (Which was the big thing in 2001) I found it very difficult to get off! But no matter where I looked, there were NO support groups for inmates in Georgia. I had no one to turn to, every job turned me away because I still had the ankle monitor on. Luckily things worked out, obviously, but I finally seen why so many women kept going back to prison. You are let loose with no help at all, set up to fail unless you are VERY strong.
Thank you for such a wonderful blog!
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You are a very strong woman, and it is a testament for others that you have survived! You give others hope and that is a gift not many can give. Yes, I can imagine how you felt. When my son got out after only two years in a state prison he was withdrawn and afraid to talk to others. He even asked if he could go to the restroom on the first couple of days, until I said,”You can go anytime you want day or night.” Unfortunately you can get “institutionalized’ so quickly. Unfortunately, he did not learn from his experience, and I hope that when he gets out again, in about 3-4 years, he will follow a path of peace and hope for his future.
Keep up the good work and have a wonderful holiday this year.
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I’m sorry it was so hard for you. I can see why it would be. The man I have my blog for at http://mynameisjamie.net asked if I could get a few things for him through s inn, a prison service in Texas that allows you to buy $60 worth of commissary items for themin addition to what they are allowed to spend. He to me how extremely high priced the items are. I didn’t find them to be that high. I then remembered that it had been a long time since he had been in a grocery store. This blog I have http://mynameisjamie.net and the book I’m writing is for him, looking ahead for the day he gets out.
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