Walk a Mile in My Shoes: Re‐Entry Simulation for Awareness and Changing Attitudes Toward the Re‐Entry of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

ABSTRACT

Returning to community life after incarceration is full of challenges most citizens never experience, such as stigma, social exclusion and structural barriers that may hinder successful community reintegration. Although difficult, stereotypes based on attitudes can be changed through community‐based educational interventions. This study examined the impact of a community‐level intervention designed to change attitudes toward and knowledge of re‐entry challenges through experiential learning from a simulated four‐week period after incarceration. Using a retrospective pretest design, data were collected following simulations conducted at a large urban university in the southeastern United States. The sample included 147 participants; most were ages 18–24 (72%), female (78.9%), White (68%) and college students (86%). Paired‐sample t ‐tests indicated statistically significant changes in 14 of 16 indicators after individuals personally experienced the simulated re‐entry process. Participants reported less concern about public safety risks, greater support for re‐entry services, more favourable attitudes toward formerly incarcerated individuals, and increased recognition of barriers to successful re‐entry. Although our conclusions are limited by the sample demographics, potentially limiting the generalizability of the results, the conclusions demonstrate the need for policies targeting community awareness and education concerning re‐entry and its challenges as a mechanism for improving understanding and reducing stereotypes and stigma.