Description
Wellness Recovery Action Plan for Reentry: Moving Forward from Incarceration is an adaptation of Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) designed specifically to support those who are currently incarcerated, who have previously been incarcerated, or who have had other contact with the criminal justice system. WRAP has long been used by individuals who have had justice-system involvement to create a life that is not defined by the things that happened on their worst day.
This brand-new book was written with contributions and personal stories from those who have lived WRAP behind walls and back in the community. Its purpose is to support justice-involved individuals to perform at their optimum and achieve success in their efforts towards mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness pre- and post-release, both during incarceration and as returning citizens.
Says one member of the WRAP community:
“I will never forget the sound of that wall closing behind me the first time I went to jail. In that moment, it was instant panic, instant fear. …[My peers] told me, ‘Real men don’t do programs.’ But programs are what changed my life. WRAP gave me a structure to support me in anything I want to do. …Now I get to give back to those that are incarcerated. I go back into the correctional facilities where I was once an inmate and offer others the opportunity to learn to respond to life’s challenges instead of reacting negatively to things. For the past 15 years, I have had the honor and privilege of mentoring other men pre- and post-release and supporting them through this thing we call life. WRAP shows us how to create these action plans that, if we use them, help us break through the barriers that used to hold us down. It gives us the freedom to continue moving forward in creating a life without regret.”
WRAP for Reentry presents a proven process to help individuals improve the quality of their lives by incorporating wellness strategies into daily life both during and after incarceration. This book features:
- A foreword sharing the numerous wellness connections that emerged when one state department of corrections introduced WRAP into its program
- Real-life stories from individuals who have experienced incarceration or other legal issues and have used WRAP to leave the past behind them
- A special chapter about transitioning to life in the community after incarceration
- Enhanced design and layout
Individuals using WRAP during and after incarceration have reported experiencing better overall physical and mental health, reduced substance use, better pain management, improved sleep, lower levels of stress, and lower rates of recidivism, rearrest, or repeat incarceration, among other benefits. Even individuals serving life sentences have reported positive outcomes from using WRAP. As an evidence-based practice, WRAP peer-group intervention has been shown to increase hopefulness, improve quality of life, increase people’s ability to self-advocate, increase feelings of empowerment, reduce the need to use healthcare services over time, and improve recovery outcomes.
WRAP for Reentry applies WRAP’s proven principles and practices to challenges and situations unique to individuals now facing or who have previously faced incarceration. With WRAP for Reentry, you can:
- Discover your own simple, safe wellness tools that you can use behind walls or once your incarceration is over
- Develop a daily plan to help you stay as well as possible through whatever life throws at you
- Identify challenging events or circumstances and develop action plans for responding to them
- Create a strategy to gain support and stay in control of your health and wellness amid often-changing circumstances and limited choices
- “Get out and stay out” with a personalized plan to prevent future incarceration
