Reentry Simulation for Employers in RI
PROGRAM OPTIONS:
Choose one of two program dates for this class offering:
**There are 60 max participants for this training so please register soon!**
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
In partnership with Center for Health + Justice Transformation, Community College of Rhode Island, RI SHRM & DAIP invite you to attend Reentry Simulation, a unique hands-on opportunity to learn about the criminal legal system and reentry in Rhode Island.
Approximately one-third of Rhode Islanders (300,000+) have had criminal legal involvement. From stigma and discrimination to restrictions in housing and employment, a criminal record follows someone long after their sentence is over. The CHJT Reentry Simulation is designed to give participants a first-hand glance into the numerous challenges that individuals face after incarceration. This interactive experience provides an opportunity for RI employers to better understand the complex realities of the criminal legal system, and begin a dialogue about adopting workplace policies that are more inclusive of families and individuals who are impacted by the criminal legal system.
The simulation:
- The first 4 weeks of post-release life are simulated in a 1.5-hour experience that is facilitated by an emcee (each week takes place in 15 minutes).
- Participants are provided with the fictional identity of a reentering person and a packet of materials, including a description of the individual’s criminal background, living situation, job/income situation and weekly post-release requirements.
- The simulation takes place in a large room with 16 stations, each representing a place the participants must visit each week, such as Treatment, Probation, Social Services, Court, etc. The simulation team (volunteers from the community) will staff the various stations, providing obstacles and assistance for the participants to navigate.
- The emcee debriefs the event with a facilitated group discussion to help identify ways for participants, practices, and policies to be more inclusive of individuals who are Justice-involved.
SCHEDULE:
- TIME: 8:30 - 11:30 AM EST
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COST: Free for members and non-members
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FOOD/BEVERAGE: Light breakfast refreshments will be provided
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LOCATION: CCRI Knight Campus board room, 400 East Ave., Warwick RI (map and parking details to follow)
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MAP/PARKING: Click HERE.
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PARKING: There’s plenty of parking available in the main lot. From there, participants will enter the campus via the main entrance bringing them to the 2nd floor. Elevators and stairs are to the left. We’ll be on the 4th floor in the Board Room 4090. Coming off the elevators, participants go down the hallway on the left to the back of the building. We’ll post signs directing them to the room. Campus map of the 4th floor included below:
https://ccri.edu/about/floorplans/knight/04.html
Accessible parking spots are available in the back of the building and participants would then enter on the ground level with elevators immediately to the right.
This program has been submitted for HRCI and SHRM credits.
OUR EMCEE(S):
Heather Gaydos, MSW, Interim Manager
The Center for Health + Justice Transformation
Heather is a skilled leader servant who has spent more than twenty years working with families and community-based organizations in Providence, Rhode Island. She currently serves as the Interim Manager at the Center for Health and Justice Transformation, which is a part of Lifespan’s Community Health Institute. CHJT works on advancing health equity for justice involved populations, focusing on statewide criminal justice planning, reentry coordination across community and government stakeholders, and economic justice for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Heather acts as a liaison between community providers, directly impacted individuals and state justice agencies through facilitating the RI Reentry Alliance.
Heather has extensive experience working as both an administrator and direct service provider for justice-involved and high-risk populations. Her passion for social justice and racial equity grew throughout her 16 years working at community-based organizations in Providence, RI. Prior to joining the CHJT, Heather worked for eight years as the Director of Employment & Education Services at the Nonviolence Institute, managing programs for youth and young adults involved in gangs and street violence. She currently serves as a commissioner for the RI Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity and is an alumni of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders Program.
Heather is a mother, a mentor, and an engaged community member, serving on the board of directors of two local nonprofits. She believes progress can truly be made when communities are willing to confront biases and inequities, and recognize the interconnectedness of the health and success of all individuals. Heather received her master’s degree in macro social work from Rhode Island College in 2017 and bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College in 2001.
Keep the conversation going, join us at our upcoming programs.
RI SHRM PROGRAMS
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Stef Nelson at rishrmsponsorship@gmail.com.
