Community Support Group Project

Support Group for Parolees

What

Reality TV at its best—a proposed locally broadcasted series of televised conversations between ten recently paroled volunteer Support Group Participants, thousands of Hawaii Island TV Viewers, ten Assistant Co-facilitators, and a Support Group Facilitator.

When

To be determined

Where

TV studio to be determined

Purpose

The purpose of a support group is to experience an expanded ability to manifest the results we say we want for ourselves and, for those with whom we relate.

Objective

To create a context of community support so that none of the parolees return to prison, ever—zero recidivism.

Premise: If family, friends, and community members of a parolee, have not concurrently participated in their own rehabilitation program (such as one of the ten Community Support Groups) the parolee has no choice but to continue using his/her old communication model, the very way of communicating and relating that supported the parolee's incarceration. Our combined leadership-relationship communication-support skills, how we have been communicating and relating with each other, produces 42% recidivism. —Kerry

To get a better sense of the need for the Support Group for Parolees read Parole—The First 24-Hrs.

Overview

The Support Group for Parolees begins with the fundamentals and principles of intrapersonal, interpersonal/intercultural communication; it picks up where high school, university, and military academy speech-communication curriculums leave off. Conversations cover every conceivable problem a parolee might encounter.

During each of the 24 weekly 3-hr broadcasts viewers will be able to call in with feedback in support of each inmate successfully completing his/her parole.

It's virtually impossible for this 24-session series to not positively impact the parolee, the television viewers, and all with whom they relate.

Notes:

It's not too hard to see the correlation between recidivism and a community's communication support skills.

Just as there is a way to communicate that inspires integrity so too is there a way that enables and empowers unethical behaviors. The communication skills used throughout the community, the ones taught to us by our parents and teachers, also support recidivism.

Time and again we've seen what happens when we release a parolee back into his/her community of social and familial relationships—most resume relating with people whose leadership-relationship communication-skills supported, however unconsciously, their incarceration.

Parolees who engage in conversations with parents, loved ones, friends, and community members, those who have not concurrently participated in their own rehabilitation program, are at great risk. How we communicate affects all with whom we relate.

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.

Prerequisites (no exceptions)

corded land-line telephone
own transportation (as opposed to borrowing or being driven)
own computer w/laptop or desktop monitor—not a cell phone.
email address

A Support Group Participant for Parolees may be a current parolee or, have completed his/her parole requirements.

As a registrant to be a Participant in the free 24-session Support Group for Parolees you will be informed of the dates. If the support group meeting dates conflict with your schedules you may withdraw your registration.

Register to be a Participant in the Support Group for Parolees

Step 1: Click the Register button and complete the Community Support Group Message Board Registration Form.

Step 2: You will receive an email containing a link to Activate your registration.

Step 3: Using the user name and password you chose log on to the Message Board, and post a test post [Subject: "_ _ _ _'s test post"] (no quotes).

Step 4: Email us your full name and home telephone number. Upon receipt of your email you will be emailed the password for the Participant's Message Board.
* The vast majority of people are addicted to blaming and to abusing and to being abused. The objective is not to stop abusing or to stop setting it up to be abused, but to have in place an agreement to acknowledge (through to mutual satisfaction) every single instance of abuse. For example: You: "That didn't feel good." Partner: "Thanks, I got that." The one who fails to insist upon acknowledging/clearing an abusive interaction become the cause for all successive abuses.

To volunteer to be an Assistant Co-facilitator in the Support Group for Parolees go here.

Press button to return to the list of support groups.