By Ally Hardebeck
On April 1, President Trump called the United States a country that “believes in redemption.” Although the President tends to take a hardline approach on policy issues such as immigration and trade, he has adopted a more empathetic view of the formerly incarcerated with his proposed adoption of a “Second Step Act.” This bill would eliminate some of the barriers to employment for returning citizens, the term used to describe those who are re-entering society after incarceration. The President has allocated $500 million in his budget for the next fiscal year for this purpose. Although a 2008 Urban Institute study found that over half of returning citizens were still unemployed eight months after their release, Trump hopes to reduce the unemployment rate to single digits in the next five years.
Decades of strict sentencing laws and brutal policing tactics have earned the United States a shameful title: World’s Top Incarcerator. After years behind bars, returning citizens continue to face barriers upon release. Obtaining housing, rebuilding relationships, and, as President Trump has chosen to spotlight, finding stable employment are not easy tasks with the stigma of a criminal record. Landlords, employers, and family members are not always keen to take on someone who has recently spent time in prison. On the application for public housing, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City makes applicants acknowledge that the results of a background check are grounds for denial of housing assistance. More than two thirds of employers will conduct a background check on a potential new hire, according to a 2012 survey by the Society of Human Resource Management.
Baltimore is no stranger to the challenges of re-entry, but not every Marylander is affected equally. According to a 2004 Urban Institute Report, over half of all Maryland prisoners return to Baltimore City upon release. Of those returning citizens, thirty percent come home to the same six communities. All six of these communities have rates of single motherhood and public assistance above the city average. The concentration of economic disadvantage in these neighborhoods further complicates the struggle to re-enter society. Without investment in programs that help returning citizens transition home, communities will continue to bear the weight of crime and recidivism.
Nonetheless, community leaders in Baltimore are tackling re-entry issues. Every Tuesday morning at 9 am, a group begins to gather in the basement of Zion Baptist Church in Oliver. Case managers, life coaches, community organizers, pastors, and other support staff come together for Turnaround Tuesday, a two-hour training session of the “mind, body, and soul” for both returning and unemployed citizens. Their mission is to prepare these citizens to not only reenter the workforce, but also transform their communities. After a prayer and welcome by Melvin Wilson, one of Turnaround Tuesday’s co-directors, the soul transformation begins in the form of a “spiritual vitamin,” or personal reflection on a Bible verse. Then comes transformation of the mind: staff (and perhaps a willing participant) role play a workplace scenario before presenting a training on the week’s given topic. Think strategies for decision making or navigating public versus private relationships. Afterwards, breakout groups form to further discuss how these skills might be applied on the job. Each training concludes with the body. Pastor Marshall Prentice exchanges his three-piece suit for a sweat suit as he leads the group in 15 minutes of workout video called “Walk at Home,” following a smiling woman with slightly teased hair named Leslie Sansone.
Turnaround Tuesday, sponsored by Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), recognizes that successful re-entry is far more than obtaining a job. Although they host weekly “Resource Days” to support resume writing, interview skills, expungement, and job application support, the relationship-building aspect is integral to their mission. This unique philosophy is working. Turnaround Tuesday has secured over 600 job placements. In the past two years, these new hires have held a 72% retention rate across all employers. Those hired by anchor employers such as Johns Hopkins have enjoyed an even higher retention rate of 85%.
President Trump’s comments were not the first hint at a desire for criminal justice reform. 2018 saw the passage of the First Step Act, legislation that funds in-prison opportunities such as increased access to mental health treatment and educational training. By surviving congressional infighting in both parties, passage of the First Step Act demonstrates support for further reform. It is time to capitalize on this political momentum. We cannot afford to continue ignoring the full potential of our returning citizens.