Recidivism, a confusing intention

[Kerry]

42% of Hawaii's parolees return to prison.* The subject of course is recidivism.

Just as there is a way to communicate that inspires integrity so too is there a way that enables and empowers unethical/abusive behaviors. The leadership-communication skills used throughout our community, the ones taught to us by our parents, teachers and clergy also cause incarceration with 42% recidivism.

A major cause of recidivism is that a parolee is released to his/her family/friends**, each with their unique leadership-communication-support skills, back to relating with people that failed to inspire a life of integrity. An analogy is when an AA member continues socializing with a drinker.

Most parents and relatives of a parolee fail to acknowledge that their child merely mirrored their integrity, that their leadership-support skills drove their once precious child to a life of crime; and so, the child does "time" for a result the family co-produced. The source of the problem has not been addressed.

Most parolees have not been acknowledged for all of life's perpetrations, specifically, the illegal/unethical/abusive ones committed prior to the one for which they were convicted (the childhood-teenage lies, cons, deceits, abuses, thefts), and, for the ones they perpetrated while in prison. As such, their integrity begs to be caught, to be acknowledged.

Most parole violations are unconscious communications to get caught for earlier perpetrations. The majority of parole violations are broken agreements to meet with their Parole Officer; in other words, they unconsciously set it up to be caught for an infraction, not a serious crime, so as to restore their integrity.

A parolee who is out-integrity just won't allow themselves to achieve and sustain an experience of success; they intuitively know they don't yet deserve happiness.

We have yet to collectively acknowledge that it's irresponsible to release an inmate back into a family and community that has not undergone concurrent rehabilitation. If we keep communicating as we have we'll keep causing 42% recidivism. What's being taught in our schools is just one communication model; it's the very way of relating that causes recidivism.

A prisoner is able to escape (pun intended) incarceration without having gotten into open, honest, and spontaneous communication (zero thoughts withheld) with anyone, not one inmate, correctional officer, or counselor. They simply haven't been acknowledged for life's perpetrations.

To complete life's perpetrations do The Clearing Process.

* This has been going on for several decades. The results require that we all keep communicating/relating as we have been. Most penal authorities honestly believe that zero recidivism is impossible, and so they unconsciously intend 42%.

** All (yes all) parents and friends of a parolee are out-integrity; all are dragging around, into each new interaction, hundreds of perpetrations for which they have not been verbally acknowledged.  A person who is out-integrity produces less than desirable results, such as their child ending up in prison.

Read Parole—the 1st 24 hours.

Note 1: If we gave a Warden the task of ensuring that 42% of our parolees return to prison he would merely continue relating as he/she has, trying his/her best. For decades prison authorities have implemented new and truly innovative ideas and programs that support "rehabilitation;" the problem is, that they try to implement the new programs using the same leadership-communication model taught to and emulated by high school teachers, the very same way of communicating that teachers use to produce 25% of the nation's college freshman to require remedial comprehension and composition courses. The word rehabilitation is used incorrectly; few if any inmates were ever habilitated per dictionary definitions:  [1. "to make fit or capable (as for functioning in society].

Note 2: It's a remarkable testament to the communication-leadership skills of Hawaii's correctional professionals that the majority of our parolees succeed. It's possible that the reason rehabilitation programs are not more successful is because none include community participation; ironic because "we" all participated (albeit unconsciously) in their incarceration. Whether or not a parolee successfully integrates back into the community is determined by the willingness of the community to accept responsibility for the effects of its communication model, and to put in correction. The Community Support Group Project allows everyone to participate in the successful integration of each parolee.

The above was sent to the Office of the Director, Hawaii Department of Public Safety, on 10/28/18. They replied: "Thank you for your email.  We will forward it to the Hawaii Paroling Authority." As of 7/4/22 I have yet to hear from the Hawaii Paroling Authority. I emailed a follow-up to the Office of the Director on 11/22/18.

Last edited 1/12/23