Understanding the Challenges of a Parent Returning Home After Incarceration Pt 1

The Reentry Simulation is an immersive, interactive experience that demonstrates the complex challenges faced by individuals returning to the community after incarceration. Participants—judges, correctional staff, social workers, nonprofit partners, and policymakers—assume roles and navigate real-world tasks like securing housing, employment, and treatment while confronting systemic barriers such as transportation, curfews, and limited resources. Each “week” in the simulation lasts 15 minutes, revealing how policies and restrictions impact not only individuals but families and communities. Designed with formerly incarcerated people, the exercise fosters empathy, trauma-responsive practices, and sparks cross-agency collaboration to improve reentry outcomes. Hosted by the Washington State Department of Corrections, this session aligns with pro-equity and anti-racism principles and offers actionable insights for systemic change. Facilitated by parents with lived experience.