Our Program
PREPARE is unique in the length of time our program spans. There are three phases. The first intervention occurs right at the start of incarceration. The program lasts through the person’s reentry – indefinitely. We stay connected with our clients for as long as they need our support.
PREPARE to Prepare
- Guidance on preparing from Day 1 of incarceration on becoming a good candidate for parole.
- Guidance has been distributed throughout the libraries of all Maryland prisons from which people go up for parole hearings.
- Inspired by the power of future planning and goal setting.
- PREPARE to Prepare materials were developed from inside MCIW, with reference to Chris Wilson’s The Master Plan.
PREPARE for Parole
- Self-help guides on putting together a parole packet have been distributed to the libraries of all Maryland prisons from which people go up for parole hearings.
- In-person, direct advocacy for building a parole packet and presenting it to the Parole Commission is available to all women in MCIW.
- PREPARE provides correspondence support and some workshops in certain men’s facilities.
- A parole packet includes a life story which gives context to the events which brought the person into prison.
- A parole packet is a space for the person to express their remorse for the consequences of their actions.
- A parole packet sets out the person’s growth and achievements during their incarceration.
- A parole packet includes letters of support from those who have knowledge of the candidate.
- A parole packet includes an advocacy letter which marshals the evidence in the packet to make the best case for parole.
- A parole packet necessarily includes a strong reentry plan.
PREPARE for Home
- 6 months before a client's first parole hearing, PREPARE assists them in developing a reentry plan for their parole packet.
- PREPARE has a team of reentry specialists who have themselves successfully reentered.
- Each reentry plan is tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of the individual.
- PREPARE partners with numerous excellent reentry providers to develop reentry plans.
- From parole hearings through final release (even if parole isn’t ever granted) PREPARE coordinates with case management and the reentry service providers to ensure that the reentry plan goes into effect.
- Should changes to the reentry plan be needed, either before or after release, PREPARE is there to assist.
- PREPARE has reentry coaches on staff who are peer specialists. They stay connected with the client from reentry onwards.
A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE THREE PHASES OF PREPARE
Each of the phases contains components that are agile enough to receive a client at any point in their journey and function effectively in a variety of environments, maximizing effective use of existing resources, filling in the gaps and providing decision-makers with accurate, accessible information. PREPARE empowers the client to engage with their own rehabilitation, parole and release processes by exploring options, making informed choices, and taking responsibility for their decisions. Working with PREPARE’s team of advocates and coaches, the client builds confidence, critical thinking skills, and self-sufficiency – qualities that will help them achieve long-term success.
PHASE 1
PREPARE to Prepare – because successful reentry starts at intake
Materials (targeted to incarcerated Marylanders with over 18 months to a parole hearing).
Preparing to Prepare (dividers) | Parole Success Starts Today
PREPARE to Prepare materials may be distributed:
- At intake/orientation
- Through the institution's library
- Through a workshop
- From a Peer Recovery Specialist
- Through an in person or correspondence program intake
- In response to a written request
- Online to friends, family, and engaged citizens
PREPARE to Prepare is built on the mentoring, positive thinking, domestic violence, and anger management work of Maryjoel Davis. It was developed by Anne Bocchini Kirsch during her incarceration as a tool for her work as a Peer Recovery Specialist. It effectively supplements the in-person resource finding, support and guidance inherent to Peer Recovery work by providing an easy to use method of organizing and maintaining goals and important documents that will be needed during the parole process. It can also be used as a self-help product to offer suggestions that help an incarcerated person make good choices and seek opportunities for rehabilitation. The goal setting element of the PREPARE to Prepare materials – Daily Goals, Prison Goals and Life Goals – was inspired by Chris Wilson’s The Master Plan.
PHASE 2
PREPARE for Parole – empowering every incarcerated Marylander to present complete, accurate information to the Parole Commission
Materials (targeted to incarcerated Marylanders with less than 18 months to a parole hearing)
Guidance on Preparing a Parole Packet
Prepare for Your Hearing
How You Can Support a Parole Candidate (for supporters on the
outside)
When You’ve Been Refused Parole (if a client is refused)
Life Sentence Flyer (for any parolable life sentence)
PREPARE for Parole works with the client to put together an accurate depiction of their life before the crime, what happened, and what they have done to change. While the process of packet development may vary based on the amount of time left to the hearing, the client’s circumstances, and the client’s specific needs, and where the client is housed, the PREPARE process follows a similar path and provides the same documents and services, tailored to the client’s needs.
The Parole Packet includes:
- Dashboard – quick and easy access to the most vital information
- Advocacy Letter – highlights the important parts of the packet
- Life Story – the client's life history from before the crime through their path to rehabilitation
- Remorse Statement – in certain cases, a statement of the client's remorse and understanding of the crime and its impact
- Reentry Plan – a detailed plan for the client's housing, employment, health care and treatment services, and other tangible support
- Letters – character and recommendation letters with a highlights page pulling out the best quotes
- Evaluations and Certificates – work evaluations and program certificates with a table of contents
PREPARE assists the client with:
- Filling out the dashboard
- An advocacy letter that addresses important factors that the Parole Commission considers
- Writing and editing the life story and remorse statements
- Identifying reentry service providers, arranging necessary interviews, and obtaining acceptance letters
- Organizing letters, evaluations and certificates
- Compiling everything into a professional, accurate packet and submitting it to the Parole Commission
- An advocacy call with one of the ten Maryland Parole Commissioners, led by a PREPARE staff member, in conjunction with the client's family and/or reentry service providers
- Creating a comprehensive reentry plan
PHASE 3
PREPARE for Home – because success at a parole hearing is only meaningful when it leads to success in the community
PREPARE for Home starts working to develop the reentry plan that is consistent with the client’s needs and requests when the client is 6 months away from a target parole hearing date or a mandatory release. The month before the scheduled release, PREPARE meets with the client, provides contact information for their Reentry Coach, and answers any questions.
As the client approaches release, PREPARE:
- Verifies the Reentry Plan and makes necessary changes
- Provides the plan to DPSCS Reentry and Case Management staff
- Provides the client with a written copy of the Reentry Plan and contact information for their Reentry Coach
- Uses the Self-Sufficiency Matrix (SSM) to gauge the client's expectations of their Reentry Plan
- When the client is released, PREPARE provides a Reentry Coach with lived experience of incarceration and successful reentry to be a resource for the client. The Reentry Coach
- Contacts the client within 2 weeks of release (if the client has not contacted them first) to use the SSM to gauge the client's actual situation, compare it to the expectations, and offer services and guidance to resolve problems.
- Works as a peer to help the client set and achieve goals, locate and access services, and succeed with community supervision
- Maintains regular contact with the client to identify problems early
- Conducts the SSM quarterly to assess the success of the client's reentry and establish new goals