Corrections_Today_November_December_2023_Vol.85_No.6

NEWS&VIEWS

Photo courtesy Charles Moore

Reimagining Myself Program participants (pictured left); Reimagining Myself Program Narrative Film About Reentry Support (pictured right).

By engaging in these activities, the participants gradually gain the confidence and courage to leave their prison mindset behind and start the exciting prospect of building a new life, reengaging with fam ily and community. At the end of one class, a participant said, “The job application speech was really helpful. I hadn’t thought about how I would present myself in an inter view. I thought the narrative films and testimonials from the videos were great. You have to be aware of

old habits you picked up in prison. The videos hammered that home.” The Reimagining Myself Pro gram research evaluation reported that participants felt better able to identify and deal with their negative emotions and problematic habits, gained confidence about manag ing job interviews, felt better able to creatively problem-solve, gained confidence in their ability to manage conflict in a healthy way and de veloped more ways to process their thoughts and feelings. When an RTA

request reimagine@rta-arts.org. RTA as well as the Reimagining Myself Reentry Program has had the ongoing support of New York State’s Department of Corrections and Com munity Supervision from the pilot, through the development of the full program. Recently launched in several NYS prisons, the Reimagining Myself pro gram has proved to be a win/win for both the participating individuals and the prison system. It’s also a win/win for society at large, which saves mil lions of dollars in lower recidivism, and makes life on the street a little safer for all of us.

formerly incarcerated member learned about the Reimagining My self Program, he said, “tell them the one thing we have in common — all of us is the human capacity to be a better version of ourselves no matter what that looks like. Out here, on the outside, there are folks who were once where you are, who have come home and are successful.” The full research report is available upon

For more information, contact via email at

reimagine@rta-arts.org or visit RTA’s website at www.rta-arts.org

Katherine Vockins, DHL is the RTA Founder and Director of the Reimagining Myself® Program. She can be contacted via email at Katherine.vockins@ rta-arts.org.

Photo courtesy Charles Moore

Reimagining Myself Program Narrative Film about Family Reunification.

10 — November/December 2023 Corrections Today