SADO’s Project Reentry is dedicated to supporting individuals transitioning from incarceration back into society, offering resources and guidance on the reentry process. This new column aims to provide valuable knowledge and guidance from the Reentry team, highlighting the critical work they are doing to support individuals transitioning from incarceration back into society. We hope readers will gain insight into challenges faced by returning citizens and the strategies used to overcome them, fostering a more informed and supportive community.

There are two pathways for any person returning home from prison: community supervision (parole), or discharge. While being on parole may mandate conditions for those with solid support networks that feel like limitations, parole also guarantees housing, vocational placement or employment assistance, and support with basic needs including vital documents, food assistance, health services, and Medicaid enrollment. For those who discharge with limited resources, the reentry process poses unique challenges that may leave them with more barriers than opportunities. 

For example, with juvenile lifer clients who have served four or five decades, the date of their resentencing is often the same day as their discharge. Because this process happens so quickly, facilities rarely have enough lead time to secure a state ID and occasionally other vital documents like a birth certificate or Social Security card, which are needed to obtain a state ID.

To overcome these barriers, it is important to familiarize oneself with the agencies that can provide services when the MDOC cannot, and how to access those services. These include Secretary of State, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration, and any other agencies like Michigan Rehabilitative Services or Michigan WORKS! to assist with vocational services and job placement.

Even though the MDOC is required to keep vital documents including a birth certificate and Social Security card on file in the Records offices, clients should always double-check to make sure that their information is properly stored by reaching out to their employment counselors. Clients and those who represent them will greatly benefit from researching this information well ahead of a resentencing or release date. If you need more information about the services available in your communities, we encourage you to reach out to us for guidance. While Project Reentry cannot provide direct services, we will always work our hardest to point you in the right direction. For more information on your local state agencies, feel free to contact Project Reentry by writing to us at Reentry@sado.org.

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