As COVID-19 continues to spread and we combat the virus, we talk about protecting vulnerable populations. At the same time, we are having renewed conversations about race, policing, and our criminal justice system. These topics converge as we consider the vulnerable population of those recently released from incarceration, either because of COVID-19 or because they have served their time. In both instances, we must ask: What happens next?
Across Indiana, the prison population is down more than 1000 inmates since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. In Marion County, our jail population is down more than 600 people from pre-COVID numbers according to the Marion County Sherriff’s Office. Many of those released face economic challenges and need help connecting with jobs and job training. Some experience mental health problems and issues with drugs and alcohol. Many face homelessness. These problems are related.
All those released must be reintegrated into our community, but how do we do that successfully?
A public safety officer will tell you that only half of their work is police work. The other half is social work, dealing with issues of mental health, substance use disorder, homelessness, and the related cycles of poverty and crime. As we reimagine policing and criminal justice, it makes sense to rethink the spectrum of social support necessary to reintegrate a returning citizen into civil society – much like medical professionals describe a “continuum of care” for a patient recovering from COVID or other disease.
In the midst of all the unknowns, at Keys2 we know that one of the best things we can do for returning citizens is to help them find and hold a good-paying job. But that’s not easy.
Employers are looking for reliable employees with both technical skills and “soft” skills, things like being on time, taking direction from supervisors, and calling in when you’re sick or going to be late – skills that many of us take for granted. But for those facing poverty, homelessness, lack of transportation, and mental health issues, nothing can be taken for granted, especially after being released from incarceration.
That is why we must do a better job of anticipating this vulnerable population’s needs and meeting them through social services that improve their odds. Now is the time to think anew about how to keep people out of the criminal justice system and in civil society. If we are going to reimagine our policing, we better reimagine social services, job training, and access to employment as well.
Let’s have this conversation!
Jannett Keesling
President, Keys2