Diary of a returning prisoner: From prison to community

In about nine months, Sunshine Ketchum will be released from prison in Milwaukee.

She is looking forward to it, but is also very scared because she remembers what happened the last time she was released.

“Before I even walked out the door, I had a panic attack,” Ketchum said.

She stated that she received no support before or after her release, which is why she was quickly re-arrested.

---

---

Recidivism rates reflect the complexity of the obstacles people face after their release from prison.

Of those released from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in 2019, more than 30% were reincarcerated within three years, according to the agency.

Ketchum wants to avoid this cycle.

Hear her talk about her recent release and what concerns she is currently having about her upcoming release.

Prison assistance

The Department of Corrections uses an assessment to determine the risk of reoffending and then creates “dynamic case plans” to guide the person through their “life cycle in the criminal justice system,” according to the department’s website.

Departmental data demonstrate the success of specific programs tailored to different population groups.

For example, a report for fiscal year 2023 shows that a program called “Opening Avenues to Reentry Success” resulted in a significant reduction in recidivism rates among a group of over 300 mentally ill participants.

The program is designed to provide intensive case management, housing, and psychiatric treatment to individuals with mental illness. Participants had a 22% lower relapse rate compared to the control group.

The Department of Corrections did not respond to questions about the standard reintegration supports it provides and whether there are gaps in that support.

A differentiated approach

Rather than blaming the bureaucracies involved, Adam Procell takes a balanced approach.

Procell hosts a monthly information fair called “Home to Stay” to help people return to their home country. Visitors to the fair can connect with organizations that can help them find housing, jobs, health insurance, and more.

Procell has also re-entered the market.

“The easy answer for me is to say, 'Yeah, DOC sucks,' because that's what everyone says. But it's more nuanced than that,” Procell said. “I'm not saying there aren't gaps, but it's not as bad as it's perceived to be.”

There are correctional officers and probation officers who want to help and are doing so, he said.

People returning to work also need to be honest with themselves about the efforts they are or are not making, he said.

It's never too late to start

“A good philosophy is for people to knock on a lot of doors in the hope that a few of them will open,” says Conor Williams, moderator of the Milwaukee Reentry Council, which coordinates local efforts to support people being released from prison.

“I also think it's never too late to start,” Williams said. “One of the challenges for some inmates is that they struggle with their feelings of regret and some of the mistakes they made earlier in their lives. But helping them embrace a hopeful future can make all the difference in their lives.

Williams recommended the Benedict Center for Ketchum's purposes.

It supports women at every stage of their relationship with the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest, pretrial detention, incarceration, rehabilitation, probation and conditional release.

Williams also recommended the RETURN (Returning Ex-incarcerated People To Urban Realities and Neighborhoods) and Home to Stay projects.

Project RETURN provides returning citizens, both men and women, with employment, housing, drug and alcohol counseling, training in daily life skills and other support.

More information

Anyone interested in the services of the Benedict Center can call 414-347-1774 or email [email protected].

You can reach Project RETURN at 414-374-8029.

“Home to Stay” takes place the first Wednesday of every month from noon to 2 p.m. at Partners in Hope, 324 W. North Ave., a division of The Community Warehouse, a faith-based organization that supports returning citizens.

Devin Blake is a justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Foundation for Public Welfarewhich plays no role in the editorial decisions of the NNS newsroom.