Written by Jamar Williams (working for the Bard Prison Initiative in the US)

I want to tell you about the 4 Ps of Reentry (aka release from prison)

The essence of these Ps presented themselves long ago at a Drexel University Behavioral Health Conference. At the conclusion of my presentation a guy stood patiently to the side for nearly an hour as folks lined up to ask questions, exchange information, or present me with opportunities to work with them. When the line subsided, this guy who I learned was a professor
strolled over and simply stated, “That was a book” in a monotone voice. As I inquired further into his statement, he announced to me that I had just presented a books’ worth of material and I needed to write one.

During a Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) Summer Residency which hosted participants from Prison Education Programs across the globe, as we sat in a circle, paper on desks, pens in hand to take notes on this balmy afternoon’s workshop, my thoughts began to synthesize down to this repeated letter of the alphabet – the letter P. You see, we were well into week two of our cohort and melding together, both in our relationships as well as our ideas of what could be next in our respective spaces. We had become a community indeed, much like the art and horticulture that adorned the campus grounds of Bard College.

It was here in this chilled reprieve, sunnies tucked away, that I began to share some simple, basic necessities of doing this work well and doing so for the long haul. This group were looking to bring education to their respective local carceral space, so it was not just enough to educate them on how to set it up to succeed, if we weren’t also teaching them how to do so for the long term both personally and professionally.

These Ps are some of the necessities that will assist you in your work to be more fulfilling and protect you from burn out.  To be clear, this is not intended to be a heady or long read, (you already have enough on your plate), Nor is its intention to be scholarly. This is intended to be a practical read, something that’s easy to work through over the course of a few lunch breaks or something to unwind with in the evening after that day inside. Take notes as deemed necessary. Underline, circle, highlight or fold the top corner of the page as you see fit as a way of marking something that resonates with you. That is what it is here for, to be used. The more it is worn, the more you are not.

Writing this book has been a labor of love. I am excited to get this out of my head and into your hands. I feel indebted to you because you have made a poignant decision to step into this work and all of its complexities. This is hard work, and heart work. This is specifically for you. A generous heap of gratitude to the SR ‘23 Cohort that inspired me to not only talk about these Ps more, but to put them on paper for all to use in their profession. Thank you!! To the Aussies furthest across the waters to South Africans and to our nearest US neighbor located just across the pond in the UK who to this day continues to inspire me to “Crack On”, this is for you.

So to be clear….If you intend to do this work well this book is for you. If you have just a semester or two in there, this is for you. If you intend to do this work well and over an extended period of time, this is definitely for you! Within these pages are some basics to create a foundation that extends beyond the orientation that you will receive before you are cleared to enter the facility. This book is to keep you grounded in your work while not losing yourself in the process. Welcome.

Pace Yourself
Find your People
Process
Know when to Peace Out (Leave)

As soon as Jamar’s book is published, we will share a link here.