Anonymous (01) oral history interview, 2021 April 01

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In this interview, a case manager at both Reentry Campus Program and the Nonviolence Institute in Providence Rhode Island explains the variety of services her organization offers to assist individuals currently or previously incarcerated. She describes how her organizations work collaboratively with others within and outside of the state to provide comprehensive services for individuals at all reentry phases. She discusses how many of the state’s reentry services are accessed by word of mouth. She also discussed the unique difficulties people with incarceration experience face when looking for employment and housing.

Next, she talked about some of the challenges she has faced in providing services to incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes how some of the services her organizations offer have pivoted or expanded and improve client services during the pandemic. Additionally, many of her clients faced technology access and knowledge barriers early in the pandemic, making navigating the reentry process more difficult.

She also described how the reentry programs she is a part of function as a larger community. Many of her current co-workers were former clients of the Reentry Campus Program or the Nonviolence Institute or had prior experiences with incarceration. Finally, she discussed the challenges of working against larger systems of oppression and racism that impact the lives of her clients. She ends on a positive note, describing how her organizations are working toward changing Rhode Island policies that disadvantage individuals with incarceration history and incorporating people with lived experience into policy discussions.

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