Re-entering the free world can be scary for those who lack clear goals, marketable skills, and a strong support system. During their first weeks out, many ex-offenders struggle to find food, housing, employment, and assistance with the day-to-day realities of life on the outside. Unfortunately, many don't make it beyond the first 99 days as they get re-arrested and return to life in a cage.
Most ex-offenders need help with their re-entry challenges. It's something few can do on their own through sheer willpower or wishful thinking. But they first need to help themselves by specifying realistic goals, developing a targeted plan, and then translating their goals and plan into daily activities for achieving long-term success.
Offering a helping hand, this handy weekly planning and implementation journal assists ex-offenders in dealing with key transition issues during their first 99 days, or 14 weeks, in the free world. Addressing the major hopes and fears of ex-offenders, this upbeat resource focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of implementation. It requires users to:
- specify three major objectives each week
- identify specific supporting daily activities
- anticipate related outcomes
- evaluate their progress at the end of each week
- make key adjustments for the next week
Viewing re-entry as a challenging full-time job, the book encourages users to keep a weekly journal where they record exactly what they plan to do each day (a daily “To Do” list) and then evaluate their progress on a scale of 1 to 10 in accomplishing their goals for the week. They, in turn, summarize what they need to do to better accomplish their goals.
The journal also includes important sections on:
- commitment
- key contacts
- appointments
- financial planning
- budgeting
- personal information
- documentation
- re-entry resources
Used alone or in a group, this book helps ex-offenders focus on those things they need to do on a daily basis to develop a new pattern of behavior for achieving success in the free world.