First Re-Entry Circle Scheduled in West Virginia
Restorative Justice is a way of looking at wrong doing through a new lens. Rather than focusing on rules and sanctions, turning to wrongdoing and healing. One of the most familiar processes associated with restorative justice is a facilitated conference between an offender who has accepted responsibility for wrongdoing and a victim who wants to participate in such a process. Another process associated with restorative justice is the talking circle where the participants in a process sit in a circle and discuss ideas suggested by the facilitator, or the keeper of the circle. This process allows for all participants to have the opportunity to participate in the discussion equally. Talking circles also maximize opportunities for listening.
One type of a talking circle is the re-entry circle. A re-entry circle is convened when a person has been excluded from a community and is returning to that community. They may be convened when a student returns to school after a period of suspension. In some states, they are convened when an incarcerated person is released on parole and is returning to the community.
Next week, I will participate as a circle keeper in the first re-entry circle in West Virginia for a person being released from incarceration. Here are some questions about what this will look like—and my answers.
1. What is the purpose of a re-entry circle?
When a person has been removed from a community, many needs may arise before they return. Sometimes the circle will address harm and provide an opportunity for an apology to family members or community members who have suffered because of wrongdoing. This is often the situation with a re-entry circle to return to school. In other situations, the re-entry circle can provide support and accountability for the offender as they return to the community.
2. Where does the initial re-entry circle occur? In this situation, the circle will occur in the prison prior to the offender’s release. Due to restrictions on visitors due to Covid 19 only the persons participating in the circle in prison will be onsite. The rest of the participants will be participating virtually. We will create a virtual circle that will maintain the sequence of speakers and the necessity that we have equal access to participate.
3. Who is involved in the re-entry circle? In this case, the first circle will occur prior to release. This circle will include the offender, a support person who is another incarcerated offender and two professionals who are working within the prison and are familiar with the offender. The circle will also include participants from outside the prison including a person who has volunteered to assist the offender as he moves into his new life, the director of the halfway house where the offender is relocating, a re-entry specialist, and a counselor who will be providing services for the offender after his release. A circle keeper, who has training in the process and will prepare for the circle, facilitates the circle.
4. Do re-entry circles involve family and friends? Usually. When an offender is returning to live with family and anticipates having a supportive community with family and friends, some of those folks would be part of the circle. In this situation, the offender does not have family or friends who will be providing for his support as he re-enters our community. While these folks may be involved in future circles they are not available to work with the re-entry circle.
5. What happens after the re-entry circle? In some situations, several re-entry circles may be convened after the release of the offender. The composition will change, but the circle will be reconvened to review the commitments made at the first circle and to create modifications as are necessary to meet ongoing needs. In other situations, the circle may be reconfigured to become a COSA, or circle of support and accountability. This type of circle assembles a group of community volunteers who are willing to work with the offender and touch base on a frequent basis, often daily or weekly during the transition. In our situation, we are planning at a minimum, to hold several circles after release.
6. What happens during the circle? I learned circle keeping while a student at the Center for Justice and Peace at Eastern Mennonite University and tend to follow the process that I learned at CJP. We begin the circle with an opening. It is often an inspiring quote, poem or may be a prayer. We then circulate the talking piece asking each participant to by discussing values that we bring to the circle and to the topics we are planning to include in the circle. Once we understand the values, we incorporate those into guidelines for the circle and determine that all participants are in agreement with the guidelines. As a circle keeper, I think ask questions or suggest topics that each member has the opportunity to discuss or reflect on. After we feel like we’ve had ample time to review our topics, we often create some conclusions and provide for some type of closing to mark the end of the circle.
7. What kinds of topics are discussed at a re-entry circle? Usually, we will discuss the strengths and accomplishments of the offender are reviewed. We may explore the strengths of the other participants and what resources they have brought and will bring to assist the offender in re-entry. We may discuss challenges in the re-entry process and rely on our own experiences in meeting challenges to provide ideas and inspiration to the offender.
8. Why will we discuss our own challenges if this circle is about the offender? One of the most fundamental principles of restorative justice is to provide an inclusive, collaborative process that values respect, responsibility and relationships. To that end, the circle places all participants on equal footing. Each of realizes that the circle is convened to provide support for the offender and recognize that we are all team members working to improve our communities by providing the optimal circumstances for an incarcerated person to rejoin us. That support is provided in a non-patronizing fashion where the participants expect that the offender will share fears, successes and experiences in the same way that the other circle participants share their fears, successes and experiences.
9. Why would we have a re-entry circle anyway? Some benefits are obvious—the circle helps to reduce the anxiety of the offender and provides for opportunities to plan for contingencies and create support. Hawaii has adopted processes for re-entry circles and the initial data supports that participation in the re-entry circle after incarceration helps reduce recidivism. (Walker & Davidson, 2018). https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/84_1_5_0.pdf
To learn more about Re-Entry circles contact us to set up a free meeting with Brenda.