CARLISLE, Pa. — The Cumberland County Reentry Coalition gave people in Carlisle a sense of what it’s like to reenter society after serving time.
On Saturday, the organization hosted a reentry simulation at Dickinson College. Dozens of people participated in various tasks to highlight some of the issues faced by people during the reentry process.
“This is a very good example of everybody being able to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, who is returning into trying to be a productive member of society," said John Arkon, co-chair of the Cumberland County Reentry Coalition.
Participants in the simulation were tasked with trying to get an ID, land a job, and pay for housing. Kurt Danysh, a former reentrant who served 24 years in prison, said securing basic needs can be challenging for many who finish their sentences.
“They want you to have ID, they want you to be able to pay rent, but you don’t have the ID and you don't have the rent when you come home. You need a job to make money, but you need money to get a job," said Danysh. "These are really the obstacles that reentrants face every day.”
Dickinson College students remarked how difficult it was to become secure during the simulation. Some of the participants wound up back in jail as they were going through the reentry process.
“I think it gave me a lot of new perspective on just how much there is going on in those first four weeks," said Shayna Finkelstein, a freshman at Dickinson College.
“Overall, it was very mentally draining," said Lucy Jandoli, a freshman at Dickinson College. "I can’t imagine living like this.”
Event organizers hope the simulation fostered more awareness and empathy toward the thousands of people who have served time.
“This is a person," Finkelstein remarked about people in the reentry process. "This is a person with a family, and a past, and a future.”