Re-Entry Simulation

Re-Entry Simulation

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to re-integrate back into society? To return to the community from prison? That is the purpose of a Re-entry Simulation. A Re-entry Simulation is an exercise that models the process of reintegrating back into society after incarceration. It helps those who have never experienced incarceration better understand the challenges a returning citizen might face upon reentry, such as finding housing, employment, and accessing social services.

Each participant assumes the identity of a recently released individual and has four “weeks”, each lasting 15 minutes, to interact with volunteers at booths representing reentry support organizations. Because every identity is different, every participant interacts with the simulation uniquely, which correlates to the wide variety of reentry experiences, for those who rejoin our communities after their incarceration. It is a profoundly jarring yet enlightening experience.