Leaving prison can be overwhelming. The need to navigate societal and technological changes, rebuild relationships, find employment, and find housing can be disorienting and alienating. And the stigma we place on those who have been incarcerated is significant both in human interaction and in policies that make it hard to secure employment, housing, and reconnect with one’s community.
In this episode, we learn what the process of reentry was like for Aimee and Kamisha. And we learn how they're using their knowledge, experience, and art to blaze a trail that makes the process easier for other people in similar situations.
Additional Resources:
Court-Issued Fines And Fees Frequently Undermine Health Equity (Kathleen Noonan) https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/court-issued-fines-and-fees-frequently-undermine-health-equity
Mass Supervision (Vincent Schiraldi) https://thenewpress.com/books/mass-supervision
The Ohio Justice and Policy Center: https://ohiojpc.org/
Call Declined is hosted by Melissa Beck and presented by the Sozosei Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Otsuka. The Foundation’s goal is to increase access to mental healthcare in order to eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in the United States. Learn more at www.SozoseiFoundation.org.
The Sozosei Foundation extends special thanks to Aimee Wissman and Kamisha Thomas, visionary artists and co-founders of The Returning Artists Guild whose creativity, resilience, and lived experience inspire us to build a world where mental illness is not a crime. To learn more about the Guild visit www.thereturningartistsguild.org.
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