SJC Exchange Library

Living in communities strained for resources is challenging in and of itself. Add to that experience the inherent stress justice-involved individuals face during and after incarceration and you have a recipe for trauma and the host of symptoms arising from traumatic life experiences that often go unaddressed.

As we adjust to the new normal that is 2020, it important that we reexamine the barriers to reentry for returning citizens through a trauma-informed lens and consider what it means for individuals, communities and institutions to facilitate successful reentry in the wake of a global pandemic and heightened racial unrest. Similarly, we must pay close attention to the indirect adverse effects of COVID-19 on children and youth’s mental health. We must also focus on LGBTQ youth and consider how to address and mitigate for them the trauma generated by racial disparities and structural racism.

This webinar provided context for how to discuss and examine trauma, crime and criminogenic factors in adults, along with a look at housing and employment as key barriers to successful reentry through a trauma-informed lens.