Supporting Rehabilitation- Structure and Sobriety in a Halfway House
Social support systems are important in the promotion of individual and communal well-being. This, however, confers considerable difficulties to individuals isolated from communities by factors attributable to their deeds. The rehabilitation process, for instance, usually isolates individuals from their communities and social cycles. The reintegration of these individuals into their social cycles often presents difficulties not only for them but also for their community members. The case study presented is a reflection of this.
Several strategies are utilizable in rekindling old support systems for individuals incarcerated by a social isolative process such as prison sentencing. Voluntary and religious organizations are social support systems that can be effective in rekindling social support. Encouraging these individuals to join such organizations can effectively enable them to rekindle the lost social support. Reaching out to friends and families could also prove beneficial(Roman et al., 2017). Friends and families maintain a significant position in offering social and emotional support, which could be beneficial in rekindling social support. Support groups are also important. These groups are designated to offer mental and social support to individuals who need it. People isolated from their communities can find considerable support from these support groups. All these factors enhance the rekindling of old social support and could be utilized by Karla to support her clients. Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com. We offer assignment help with high professionalism.
Supporting reintegration back to society could sometimes prove difficult. Karla would, in some cases, find considerable difficulty in working with certain groups of persons. Groups such as murder, gender-based violence, robbery, and theft convicts can sometimes be difficult to deal with. This is because of the ease of profiling them for their past deeds (Alvarez et al., 2018). Whereas some providers find it easy to deal with them, a significant number of providers tend to judge them based on their past rather than their current situation. It is thus expected that these groups of people will have difficulty dealing with Karla. However, maintaining objectivity and respecting the clients is important. Karla can ensure this by avoiding individual profiling based on past actions. Additionally, she could maintain the ethical attributes of being just as beneficent while dealing with these individuals. Beneficence ensures that they do good to everyone, while justice ensures that they provide services to everyone who requires them. These attributes will enable her to offer her services indiscriminately.
Various strategies can be utilized to rekindle old social support for individuals separated from their social cycles. Joining support groups and religious organizations are some of these strategies. Dealing with some groups of people may sometimes prove difficult. Such groups are capital offense convicts, such as murder and gender-based violence. Maintaining objectivity is, however, important when dealing with these individuals, as described above.
References
Alvarez, P., García-Carrión, R., Puigvert, L., Pulido, C., & Schubert, T. (2018). Beyond the Walls: The Social Reintegration of Prisoners Through the Dialogic Reading of Classic Universal Literature in Prison. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(4), 1043–1061. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X16672864
Roman, C. G., & Link, N. W. (2017). Community Reintegration Among Prisoners With Child Support Obligations: An Examination of Debt, Needs, and Service Receipt. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 28(9), 896–917. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403415611460
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Question
Chapter 12 Case Study: Criminal Justice
Karla is a social worker at a halfway house for transitioning women leaving prison. Most of her clients have been incarcerated for less than 2 years and have a history of substance issues. While in prison, clients received little, if any, addiction intervention. The halfway house imposes considerable structure on the lives of residents through a detailed behavior system. Clients perform daily duties and have curfews. They are required to attend group meetings designed to support sobriety and provide information about community-based resources to maintain sobriety. If clients follow the rules and expectations (e.g., attend house meetings, participate in groups, fulfill house duties, clean their rooms, act appropriately, etc.), they are rewarded by being able to leave the halfway house for specified purposes (e.g., to seek employment, see family members, secure housing) during designated blocks of time. When successful, clients use their time constructively at the halfway house and are able to connect with outpatient addiction services, obtain employment, and make arrangements for housing. Most women are marginally employable and will be seeking minimum wage, service-oriented (e.g., fast food, hotel cleaning) jobs.
As a consequence of the client’s addiction and criminal status, family members, previous employers, and friends have become skeptical and disengaged from many residents. As appropriate, Karla works with clients to rekindle old support systems and build new relationships. She works with parole officers to provide feedback concerning client success. Clients know that a relapse can quickly result in a return to jail. Karla has been an excellent advocate for and partner with local addiction programs. These agencies look for her referral letters and phone calls and value her judgment and input for admission and service acceptance. Similarly, Karla has identified local service industry employers and advocated for the hiring of her employees. She maintains an active list of properties rented to clients from the halfway house.
1. What strategies do you think Karla may find effective in rekindling those old support systems, challenging people’s perceptions of the clients she works with?
2. Do you think it would be difficult for Karla to work with any particular individuals, perhaps based on the specific crimes they have committed? How can a social worker maintain objectivity and believe in a client’s right to respect and dignity regardless of his or her criminal history?