Community Reentry Simulation
95%
of people living in jails or prisons will return to the community at some point. Returning to the community after incarceration is crisis.
The barriers to returning to the community are numerous:
housing and transportation instability, financial obligations, employment challenges, and social stigma, to name a few.
RISE offers a variety of reentry programs in Nebraska for people living in and out of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services in preparation for them to come home. In addition to our six-month character development and job readiness program, we offer an Employment Program further propelling RISE participants’ skills into the workforce beyond “survival jobs”.
While preparing individuals for a successful return is crucial, preparing the community and employers is just as important. People coming home are living the barriers every day—we invite employers, housing authorities, and neighbors to take the time to understand.
While reentry can never be fully understood without personal lived experience, creating a learning experience can, at the very least, encourage empathy and avenues for change.
What is a reentry simulation?
What is a reentry simulation?
Participants are given a "life card" and a mock identity representing an individual returning to the community after incarceration. They experience "four weeks" of reentry in about one hour, navigating transportation, finances, employment, housing, and various release requirements, such as drug testing and probation meetings.
During the simulation, participants may face challenges such as being unhoused, choosing between keeping their job and meeting with a probation officer, and other scenarios regularly encountered by returning citizens.
Empathy and understanding are the foundation of meaningful change. Learning opportunities like the RISE Reentry Simulation are crucial in breaking down misconceptions and fostering a shared commitment to solutions.
Tonya Eggspuehler, VP Org Dev, Talent and Total Rewards, Union Pacific
“The RISE reentry simulation was an incredibly impactful event for our team. It built a profound awareness of the challenges that justice-impacted individuals face, an awareness that I am confident our team will carry with them for many years to come.”
Pam Lammers, Director Workforce Resources Business Partner, Union Pacific
“Participation in the RISE simulation was the most impactful training program I have ever participated in. It really made me think about life and the situations that people find themselves in, how difficult it can be to change your course, and the seemingly unfair obstacles people have to face. Thank you for introducing me to this program that is really making a difference!”
expectations
The requesting entity–whether private or public–will need to commit to the following expectations prior to RISE’s commitment to performing a reentry simulation event:
Reentry Simulation must be requested and scheduled at least 2 months in advance.
A 3-4 hour length of time, and the expectation that participants and volunteers will stay for the entire duration of the event.
All planning, marketing & training materials must be reviewed and approved by RISE ahead of any formal, internal communication.
The host agency must coordinate registration and recruitment of participants and if possible, some volunteers. Host agency/agencies must have 60+ participants & 10+ volunteers confirmed at least 2 weeks prior to the event. **RISE will provide sign-up links for volunteers and participants. 90 participants is the maximum capacity for this event.
The host agency will provide a large room for the event and assist with the set-up of the event. Room set-up per instructions must be completed prior to simulation set-up.
The host agency must be able to provide a minimum of 15 tables, and a minimum of 75 chairs–subject to increase or decrease based on the number of registered participants.
A host agency lead contact is required. This person is expected to work directly with the Event Manager and Director of Marketing for RISE.
A suggested service fee donation is recommended – this is a labor-intensive training. It requires more than 50 hours of staff time per simulation, plus travel time and cost of material printing, as well as replacement costs for missing or destroyed prop items. Your donation helps to cover those costs. After RISE receives more information about the simulation opportunity from the organization, we will provide a recommended fee for service. *If this is a barrier, please reach out to us to discuss options
It is ideal that accessible parking during the event is made available to participants and volunteers. If paid parking is the only available option, the hosting agency will work with RISE to cover that cost.
It is ideal that the agency is able to provide AV/Tech services [microphone(s), sound system, TV/projection] but accommodations can be made with RISE if this is not available.
**Please note that submitting a request for a reentry simulation for your agency, organization, or community is not a guarantee of approval. Factors such as RISE’s availability, mission-alignment, and the requesting entity's ability to meet the above expectations will be taken into consideration during review. A RISE team member will reach out within 2 weeks of the request submission date to talk about next steps.
