Around 100 University of Wisconsin-Madison students, faculty and staff gathered at Nancy Nicholas Hall to participate in social justice nonprofit JustDane’s prison reentry simulation and hear from formerly incarcerated people Oct 9.
JustDane is a Madison-based nonprofit providing social services for “justice-impacted individuals,” including prison reentry programs for recently released individuals, outreach for children of incarcerated parents and community prison re-entry simulations to raise awareness. They have operated across the Madison area for over 51 years.
“[JustDane] is so deeply committed to supporting and promoting the well-being of people who are justice-involved and impacted, including family members,” Pajarita Charles, a professor of social work and organizer of the prison reentry simulation, told The Daily Cardinal. “I want to do work that supports these organizations, and that supports people in our community who are negatively impacted by the justice system.”
JustDane Community Engagement Manager Dani Crutcher and Circle of Support Coordinator John Givens began the event by providing statistics about the criminal justice system, including that Black residents make up 7% of the Wisconsin residents, but 41% of the state’s prison population.
Additionally, the majority of incarcerated people are re-arrested after leaving, mainly for minor offenses such as probation violations or missing appointments.
Students were given a yellow envelope that contained the profile of the formerly incarcerated individual they were to represent, as well as a task list, styles of supervision and legal documents. Profiles for each participant varied by race, age and the severity of the crime, with some students representing individuals who must now navigate being a registered sex offender.
The task list, Givens explained, contained unique basic needs students had to fulfill by the end of the simulation month, which consisted of four fifteen-minute intervals representing one week. The students’ provided goals mirrored JustDane’s basic needs classifications: residence, employment, support, education, treatment and transportation. The specific needs students needed to fulfill included finding a job, paying child-support and meeting with substance abuse counseling.
Students were instructed to fulfill their basic needs before the “week” concluded by visiting various stations representing organizations, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the job center and a parole office.
Each station official was portrayed by a simulation volunteer instructed to act in a way that made the simulation as realistic and frustrating as possible. For example, workers at the “job center” would randomly take extended breaks, and police officers singled out random participants for rearrest for seemingly minor offenses, such as a traffic citation or minor parole violation.
“[The simulation] really helps people to see how much is on a person's to-do list when they're released, and just to imagine doing that on your own without resources,” Elizabeth Dillworth, a senior at UW-Madison who portrayed a police officer, told the Cardinal. “I think it really helps put into perspective how much of a challenge [reentry] is, and why a lot of times, it can be impossible for people to stay out of prison.”
Many participating students said the simulation left them feeling frustrated, confused and overwhelmed during an intermission debrief following the first two “weeks.” Crutcher said students told her their feelings stemmed from overcrowded stations, rude interactions with “officials” and general confusion about how to fulfill their basic needs.
“If you are feeling frustrated, the simulation is working,” Crutcher told attendees.
After the simulation concluded, students and volunteers listened to a panel of three justice-impacted individuals who volunteered in the simulation: Anthony Soriano, Brenda Maier and Patrick Nolan. Each panelist explained their journey throughout the justice system and the difficulty that came with navigating the world upon release.
“This process of reentry isn't just one month long, and it's not just six months long… this process goes on and on and on,” Nolan, a UW-Madison graduate student in sociology, told the audience. “There is this pervasive sense of loneliness… it just sticks with you.”
Students said they felt frustrated by the futility of their efforts during the simulation.
“I think I went into it expecting a lot, but nothing could have prepared me for how little I could do about my situation,” Freshman Mia Catarozzoli told the Cardinal. “No matter how hard I tried to get resources, or communicate with other people, it was just such a hard hill to climb, getting anywhere in society.”
Isaac Schultz, a sophomore who also portrayed a police officer in the simulation, told the Cardinal he believes this frustration can be channeled toward positive change.
“We're in our prime time to make something happen, and our voices need to be heard,” Schultz said. “These people are advocates that can speak for a difference, and being able to experience, at least partially, what people really experience going back into the community after being incarcerated… is an eye-opening experience.”
