1. Home
  2. Students
  3. Chapter 33 - Support and Control in a Reentry Court

Chapter 33 - Support and Control in a Reentry Court

Jeralyn Faris

Synopsis

A Reentry Problem Solving Court is organized in a Midwestern county to assist ex-prisoners as they reenter their home community from prison. A team of people consisting of service providers and law enforcement work with the judge to provide social support for the ex-prisoners while also exercising necessary accountability and social control to provide public safety. A member of the team who is also a researcher at a local university provides a first-person account of weekly public courtroom sessions that involve many social actors. Support versus control is an important tension in the organizational work performed by the Reentry Court Judge, ex-prisoners, and team members.

Keywords: Social Support, Social Control, Dialectical Tension, Power, Problem Solving Court

Key Takeaways and Take a Stand Form

Key Takeaways

  1. Three key types of social support are tangible, informational, and emotional. Students can be engaged to find examples of each in this case.
  2. A unique organizational form is needed in this situation. Elements of hierarchical style are obvious, but there is a sharing of power. Consider the elements of power demonstrated. The social agencies, the court system, and the individual power of the individual ex-prisoners who are regaining autonomy and decision-making abilities can be discussed.
  3. The tension between social support for the ex-prisoners to enable them to succeed and the control necessary to assure public safety is vital in the organization and work of the Reentry Court. It has to be managed carefully and knowledgeably.

Take a Stand Form