Individuals face myriad challenges upon release from incarceration, but for members of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, successful reentry can be particularly daunting. Within 5 years of release from custody, AI/AN communities have the highest prevalence rates of rearrest, have an arrest after release that leads to a conviction, or return to prison. Moreover, members of AI/AN communities are twice as likely to die by suicide within a month of release from jail, prison, or a detention facility.
Core Reentry Challenges
Researchers have recognized that the limited availability of stable employment providing a livable wage and safe, secure housing are “core reentry challenges.” These challenges can contribute to the reentry barriers that AI/AN community members may encounter. While not unique to this population, these factors are perhaps more acutely felt due to economic challenges faced by AI/AN communities. AI/AN communities experience the highest rates of unemployment, poverty, and being uninsured.
Undertreated substance use disorders and alcohol use disorders are also core reentry challenges. AI/AN people in state and federal prisons have the highest rates of substance use disorders compared to others in prison. Returning AI/AN community members may not have access to critical recovery supports, such as medication and substance-free housing, due to either limited financial resources or limited availability in the community.
Resource Highlight
The publication Cultural Factors that Protect Against Substance Misuse and Promote Mental Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Populations identifies strategies for assessing and planning programs for promoting community and individual wellness, with special attention to cultural strengths in AI/AN populations.
Craig Ward, Behavioral Health Director, Kenaitze Indian Tribe
Complexities Unique to AI/AN Communities
Access to reentry and recovery supports is often complicated by jurisdictional complexities unique to AI/AN communities. Depending on the type and seriousness of the crime, whether the offender or victim is a Tribal member, and the location of the offense, individuals may be sentenced to jails in Indian Country, local jails, state prisons, or federal prisons. Two-thirds of AI/AN community members who are incarcerated are in state or federal prisons, which can be far from their homes and support networks, as well as beyond the influence and services of tribal courts.
This distance greatly hinders contact with family during incarceration, which has been found to reduce the likelihood of recidivism, improve post-release employment opportunities, and enhance mental health. Although every Tribe is unique, extended family and kinship ties, as well as long-term natural support systems, are commonly associated with AI/AN communities.
Leveraging Appropriate Reentry Supports
Without appropriate reentry planning, individuals released from custody into an unfamiliar setting may not know where to turn for support. Craig Ward, behavioral health director for the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, which operates the Henu Community Wellness Court with the Alaska Court System, recently observed this first-hand. He describes, “I worked with a man who was 600 miles away from his home village. He didn’t know he could get help at our wellness center. After I arranged a medical appointment, he started taking medication that lowered his symptoms, which helped him go from homelessness back to his family. It’s a matter of connecting people with the resources that are out there. I strongly encourage providers to ask if clients are registered with a Tribe, so they can benefit from what the Indian Health Service offers.”
Resource Highlight
Improving Outcomes for American Indian/Alaska Native People Returning to the Community from Incarceration: A Resource Guide for Service Providers presents federal resources, research, examples, and helpful considerations for facilitating the successful transition of AI/AN returning community members to promote individual and community well-being.
Regardless of the distance, returning from being away from the community requires some adjustment. Ward continues, “We’ve found that strengthening one’s identity is a very big part of recovery and reentry. For us, that means helping people practice being themselves with other people in traditional activities, such as drumming, or gathering plants, or preserving fish. We supplement these activities with more conventional approaches to recovery.”
Resource Highlight
Planning a Reentry Program: A Toolkit for Tribal Communities helps Tribal justice system practitioners create or enhance reentry programs for AI/AN community members returning from jail or prison, from forming a planning team to planning for sustainability.
A study of the Flathead Reservation Reentry Program found that high levels of cultural connectedness were associated with a decrease in the likelihood of recidivism. Other research supports the efficacy of culturally responsive reentry programs, meaning those “that address the varied beliefs, practices, and cultures of client populations through respectful and inclusive approaches.” Reentry policies and programs that incorporate the wisdom of AI/AN communities will foster the trust necessary for implementing successful reentry programming for this resilient population.