REINTEGRATING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY: Heeding the Wisdom of Post-Release Case Managers with Lived Experience
Book Chapter
Goddard, T, Dressler, W. (2025). REINTEGRATING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY: Heeding the Wisdom of Post-Release Case Managers with Lived Experience
. 10 282-292. 10.4324/9781003615620-38
Goddard, T, Dressler, W. (2025). REINTEGRATING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY: Heeding the Wisdom of Post-Release Case Managers with Lived Experience
. 10 282-292. 10.4324/9781003615620-38
Reentry programs led by individuals with lived experience have the potential to challenge and reshape conventional approaches to reintegration. These initiatives are gaining growing support from scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Recognizing the value of centering the perspectives of formerly system-impacted individuals in both public policy and academic discourse is increasingly seen as crucial for rethinking traditional reentry methods and redefining success. In this context, the authors—Dr. Tim Goddard, Associate Professor at Florida International University, and Dr. Wendy Dressler, Research Manager at the GEO Group, Inc.—examine a reentry program primarily staffed by male case managers with lived experience. Through direct consultation with these case managers in a focus group setting, we describe the program, underscore the role of the case managers, and discuss key insights into how lived experience builds credibility and facilitates the coordination of essential social support for reentrants. The chapter integrates the case managers’ perspectives with scholarly literature on peer mentoring in reentry, offering recommendations for more effective, culturally sensitive practices in corrections and reentry.
