The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~ Carl Rogers The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs. ~ Joan Didion THANK YOU! Fair Shake is grateful for donations of expertise, time and financial support in the creation of this publication. Several notable professionals have donated materials they’ve created to share freely with the incarcerated community and the stakeholders who support them. Many eyes - including those belonging to incarcerated people, friends and educators - have read the content and shared their critiques and suggestions. Finally, thanks to our individual and corporate donors who have made it possible for us to put this Reentry Packet into your hands. Fair Shake Reentry Packet: Copyright © 2015 Fair Shake except where noted. Please contact Fair Shake, or specific authors, for permission to use material found in this packet. Table of Contents Get the Most From Fair Shake Are You Ready For A Fair Shake? 1 Reentry Stakeholders 2 Website Quick Start Guide 3 Resource Directory Flyer 7 New to Technology Flyer 8 Mini Computer Guide 9 Educate Yourself 11 Benefits of Free Fair Shake Membership 13 Personal Web Page Flyer 15 Choose Your Perspective – A Fair Shake Guide Fair Shake Ownership Manual 17 Culture Shock! 21 Transition Tips 25 Relationships – Proceed With Caution 27 Dealing With Rejection 31 Handling Frustration 32 Motivation Tips 33 Managing Anger 35 Resisting Influence 39 Working Through Depression 47 Swellness 53 How to Watch TV 57 Worksheets And Checklists Prepare for Release Checklist 61 First Week Checklist 63 Sample Birth Certificate Application 66 Sample Driver’s License Application 67 Build a Budget Worksheet 69 Employment Employment Tips 71 Job Application Example 73 Interview Tips 74 Sample Interview Questions 75 Interview Questions for You to Ask 78 Employer Support Sheet 79 Resume Guide 81 Favorite Verbs for Your Resume 87 Accomplishments and Skills Worksheet 89 Cover Letter 93 Thank you Letter 94 Self Employment 95 Suggested Reading 97 We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves. ~ Malcolm X Are you ready for a fair shake? Hi, my name is Sue Kastensen. I’m the founder and director of Fair Shake, a resource center for everyone involved in supporting successful reentry. Here at Fair Shake we understand that those coming home from prison have a huge hurdle to overcome in making a successful transition to life-after-prison. We have created unique tools for you and for those who will be involved in your success, including: A nation-wide Resource Directory, with over 14,000 entries and 230 reentry guides Employment tools for both formerly incarcerated folks and employers Educate Yourself! page with links to many free web-based education resources FREE Member-only tools: such as document storage, an email account and a Personal Web Page Finding Your Specific Resources While You Are Incarcerated We’ve created Fair Shake to be a self-service reentry center. We understand visitors will have questions and we hope you will write to us. Unfortunately, we are not able to find resources for individuals. Please ask family members, friends and/or case workers to locate resources for you before you go home. Send them a ‘wish list’ of categories and subcategories, and how far you are willing to travel from home to find them. They can simply go to our website, click on your resources, save them, print them and mail them to you! They can print all or parts of regional and local reentry guides as well. Several institutions are now utilizing our free software application so incarcerated individuals can find their resources, learn to use a computer and understand how to find information on our website. The software can be used on any stand-alone computer and is often accessed on computers within a library or computer lab. Fair Shake is not for everyone, and getting a fair shake does not come without effort. Our website is a do-it- yourself center where users find tools, materials and information and build their unique reentry success. We don’t have everything you need, but we have tools and ideas for you if you’re willing to invest in yourself. “Reentry” is a constant process, not a spastic, scrambling effort that starts just a few months before you go home. This packet, and our software, contains reentry concepts to consider any time during incarceration and also after you return home. I continue to refer to the Transition Tips and Ownership Manual regularly, and I wrote them! Incarcerated individuals and groups are utilizing this packet as a foundation for creating reentry classes and workshops. Please write to us if you would like to use their worksheets and facilitator guide, or see their suggested reading list. Perhaps your institution is ready for on-going reentry conversations? I am often asked why I do this work….and if I have been incarcerated. I created Fair Shake because one of my employees in a former company I owned asked if I’d hire someone coming home from prison. Once I learned about my applicant’s struggles, and understood an employer’s challenges, I realized many stakeholders play important roles in creating reentry success. To the question of “have I been incarcerated”, the answer is yes…although never as an adult and never in prison. I spent 5 formative years in the juvenile justice system, bouncing between group homes, jail, a reform school, running away and foster homes. I didn’t know it going in, but my 18th birthday was my release date. We are all given different opportunities and challenges throughout our lives. Through desire, awareness, willingness and support we can increase our opportunities and decrease our challenges. The transition won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. A fair shake is not always given to us; it is often something we must create! Thanks for considering Fair Shake. Ubuntu, Sue Kastensen PO Box 63 Westby, WI 54667 Fair Shake Founder and Director www.fairshake.net 1/1 Who are Reentry Stakeholders? Though tremendous responsibility is on the shoulders of those transitioning from prison to society, their success is made possible only when the entire community is involved. Former felons need employment, a place to live and a community that is willing to give them a second chance. Fair Shake has identified six major stakeholder groups – and assembled specific information for each group – to show how each of us can help former prisoners achieve success. To find value in our investment in corrections, we must give folks the opportunity to rejoin society when their sentence is over. Former Felons: The skills you learn in prison are different from those needed out here. While you may get frustrated in your transition, take a breath and remember you are on a tough journey and so is everyone who is working hard to help you stay out. We made our best and most creative tools just for you! Family and Friends: Family members and friends, you have a huge challenge! You can support loved ones while they are incarcerated, and through their transition home, by sending documents from our website or resources from our vast Resource Directory. We also provide valuable information for children who are dealing with difficult feelings, and to support family reunification. Employers: Many of you are wary of hiring recently released people. Fair Shake offers several ways for former felons to demonstrate their character and initiative to distinguish themselves in the application and interview process. The page we have created for you also includes links to your tax incentives, bonding programs and much more. Property Managers: Housing is one of the most critical components to helping prisoners reintegrate into society. If ex-felons have a home, the likelihood that they will re-offend diminishes exponentially. You have the opportunity to help to create one of the first and most stable bridges between a prison cell and a community. Community: Formerly incarcerated people are among the most marginalized and stigmatized people in our society. When we increase our awareness, learn about reentry and other criminal justice statistics, encourage our employers to Ban the Box, and offer opportunities to engage, we can return them to their rightful status as free and accountable citizens. Corrections and Reentry Professionals: We offer you an opportunity to help facilitate an incarcerated person's transition by providing federal, state, and local resources with information about housing, food, and employment opportunities through our Resource Directory. Fair Shake also now offers a software application that mirrors our website so incarcerated people can learn to identify and find their own resources, learn to use computers and find out more about Fair Shake without access to the internet. 2 "Fair Shake Reentry Stakeholders" from the Fair Shake Reentry Packet www.fairshake.net 1/4 WELCOME TO FAIR SHAKE! Fair Shake is loaded with all kinds of reentry information. It’s like a hardware store for reentry that includes resources, information and even tools and materials for building bridges of transformation and trust. You can find everything you are looking for from the home page; this guide will show you how! Three important items for you to remember: 1. If you ever get lost on our website, click on our logo (upper left corner) and you will return to the home page. 2. All words in blue are links! Click on them to look at pages on our website, to visit other valuable websites or read documents that you can also print.