Incarceration can leave a permanent impression on your life. During your time away, you might lose friendships, miss out on educational opportunities and have to put your career on hold.
Finding support after your release can facilitate your reentry into society. With the right help, you can move on and rebuild a successful life.
Reach out to family and friends
Reaching out to your family and friends is an excellent place to begin. Depending on the details of your situation, your actions might have compromised others’ trust in you. Now is your opportunity to rekindle those relationships. Acknowledge that it will take time for trust to form. The best thing you can do is to show your sincerity in your actions and the way you live your life.
Making every effort to live a productive life will show those closest to you that you are serious about changing. Focus on the aspects of relationships that you can control and then do your best to live up to the expectations of those relationships.
Volunteer in the community
Another way to find support is to seek opportunities to volunteer and serve in your community. According to U.S. News, the United States had a staggering 2 million incarcerated individuals in the year 2020. You are definitely not alone in your reentry experience. Look for support groups or resources available to individuals like you.
Find ways that you can give back to your community. Some examples you might consider include the following:
- Collecting hygiene products
- Donating unwanted clothing
- Cleaning up local playgrounds
- Organizing books at the library
- Picking up trash
- Putting together First-Aid kits
Giving back to your community and contributing your time to helping others may provide opportunities for you to develop meaningful connections. Your effort to reconnect with people after your incarceration may give you the resources you need to make the most of your life going forward.