Ready for Reentry
Facilitator Guide
by D'Angelo Stefani
Release day is not a single moment. It is a sequence of decisions, documents, and deadlines that can either hold or collapse. Ready for Reentry is a facilitator guide for leading people through that sequence with structure, verification, and realistic backup plans. Across fourteen modules, participants move from what they think they know to what they can prove: vital identification, the first twenty-four hours, housing that actually accepts them, food and clothing, healthcare that does not drop, supervision rules, transit, honest employment, cash-only budgeting, recovery, family boundaries, court debt, and a living reentry portfolio. Facilitators get a clear curriculum, not slogans. The emphasis is on privacy, agency referrals, and facts over rumor. Participants leave with a checked portfolio, named contacts, and a plan they can execute without guessing. Use this guide in prisons, reentry classrooms, and community programs that need a complete, practical path from the gate to independent life.
- Instructional Guide
- Educational & Academic
- Self-Help
- Organizational Skills
- Career Skills
- Life Transitions
Module 1: Building My Release Plan and Setting Priorities
Objectives: Participants will assess 12 life areas, identify three urgent priorities, distinguish confirmed plans from assumptions, and create Plan A/Plan B.
Key terms: confirmed, assumed, priority, timeline, support map, backup plan.
Opening prompt: “What is one part of a plan that must be confirmed by another person or agency?” Do not ask participants to reveal personal release details.
Activity: Complete the readiness check privately. Have participants mark their top three needs, then apply FACTS to one need. Use Leroy’s fictional scenario to identify what is known, what is assumed, and what must be verified.
VERIFY — Confirm the participant’s priority, responsible contact, deadline, and Plan B using current information.
REFER — Refer unresolved housing, identification, medication, transportation, supervision, or support needs through approved channels.
Facilitator emphasis: A blank or “need help” response is useful information, not failure. Planning should cover pre-release, release day, the first week, and the first 30 days.
CLOSE — Record three priorities, one verification action, one next step, and one backup plan.
Evidence of learning: Three priorities, one confirmation action, and one backup plan are written.
Facilitator Lesson Plan
Materials: Participant workbook, pencils, priority cards or scrap paper, board, and approved local referral sheet.
PREPARE
Preparation: Review the 12 life areas, Leroy scenario, reporting process, and the local referral pathway. Prepare three sample plans labeled Confirmed, Assumed, and Need Information.
TEACH
Timed instructions: 0–10 welcome and agreements; 10–25 explain connected life areas; 25–40 complete readiness check; 40–55 discuss Leroy; 55–72 select three priorities and apply FACTS; 72–82 draft Plan A/Plan B; 82–88 knowledge check; 88–90 next-step commitment.
DISCUSS
Discussion questions: Which single missing item can block several other goals? What makes a plan truly confirmed? When should Plan B be activated?
PRACTICE
Optional activities: Priority-card sort; pair teach-back using a fictional release plan; create a wall timeline without collecting personal information.
Module 2: Securing Vital Identification and Essential Documents
Objectives: Participants will inventory identification documents, identify name-linking records, and draft a clear request to authorized facility staff.Key terms: certified copy, primary identification, secondary identification, verification letter, legal name chain, standard ID, and REAL ID.Activity: Use Marsha’s scenario to arrange documents in a…