First reentry simulation immerses students in the harsh realities of reentering society, emphasizing the complex daily barriers returning citizens face
Your name is Walker.
You served 10 years in federal prison and are reentering society. Life on the outside requires certain living expenses and court-ordered appointments that are nonnegotiable –– seeing your probation officer, childcare, rent, food and more.
You earned your G.E.D. while in prison and have a full-time job making $320 per week. Everywhere you go requires at least one transportation ticket.
You have six transportation tickets, three forms of identification and no money.Good luck!
Excited energy spread through the College of Law as students, staff and administrators prepared to step into someone else’s shoes for Belmont’s first-ever law reentry simulation, Oct. 25.
To begin, each participant received a unique persona. Some were given IDs, cash, transportation passes and additional items useful for reentry; others just a name. This variety mirrored the real-world challenges individuals face as they rejoin society.
“The simulation is designed to give people an idea of how difficult it is to move forward with their lives based on the systems we have in place,” said Director of Operations of the Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry, Cynthia Stewart. “People in reentry need a lot of support.”
In addition to providing services for people who are currently incarcerated, returning citizens and their families, TPOM facilitates reentry simulations to increase awareness and build empathy.
State of play
The simulation was split into four 15-minute sessions, each representing a week in the life of a person rejoining society after incarceration.
Around the room, different stations represented key services — the courthouse, a church/AA meeting, a payday lender, a job center, housing help, the DMV and even jail.
Each person received a “Life Card” outlining weekly tasks they needed to complete like paying rent, meeting his or her parole officer and attending AA meetings.
As the "weeks" passed, many participants hit unexpected roadblocks as they tried to get their lives back on track with limited resources and know-how.
Cynthia Stewart, director of operations for the Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry speaks to simulation participants after 15-minute session ends.
Volunteers in Belmont Law stationed tables to represent services including plasma donation, employment and even jail.
Student sitting in jail station
Participant getting transportation tickets
Director of Career and Professional Development Alix Rogers visits the probation table as Laura.
First-year law student Paola Baretti participates in reentry simulation at Belmont's College of Law.
Walker’s Journey
Walker’s persona was assigned to Paola Santigo Baretti, a law student passionate about helping unserved communities. Only in her first year of law school, Baretti has already volunteered at multiple expungement clinics that help community members clear minor offenses from their criminal records.
When she discovered the College of Law was hosting its first reentry simulation, she jumped at the chance to participate.
“Since I am interested in public interest law when I graduate, I saw this as a good way to get a better sense of the challenges people who are reentering society face,” Baretti said. “It’s a way to see what rehabilitation looks like on the outside and I think it will help me relate better to people I interact with at future clinics.”
Stepping into Walker’s shoes, Barreti’s first stop was the plasma station. There, she earned enough to pay for the drug testing required to go to work.
After receiving a negative result, she clocked in a full shift at work, eating away seven valuable minutes. Unfortunately, time ran out before she could get paid in the first session. By the end of the first week, Barreti had little to show for her efforts. The following weeks proved equally challenging.
“I didn’t realize how hard it is,” she confessed in the second round. “I still haven’t eaten. The last thing on your mind is taking care of yourself when you're trying to stay out of jail and pay for everything you need.”
Between each session, the group gathered for a quick discussion. By the end of the simulation, many participants spent time back in jail, few managed to eat from week to week and even less were able to secure employment.
“There’s such a negative stigma around people who go to prison and jail,” Baretti noted. “But a lot of people who are in the system are products of their environment and products of a system that doesn’t really help them progress. This experience has given me a stronger sense of purpose for the work that I want to do.”
Championing Public Interest at Belmont Law
As the Public Interest Coordinator for Belmont Law, Ginny Blake champions and facilitates public interest and pro bono initiatives, as well as nurtures vital partnerships with public interest organizations.
After participating in a reentry simulation through the Rutherford County Reentry Program, she worked with TPOM to host a reentry simulation at Belmont. This was the first time the ministry facilitated a simulation on a college campus.
“It shows you firsthand why recidivism is so high,” Blake said. “It's hard to reassimilate on so many different fronts, especially when there's so many roadblocks and so much red tape keeping you from being successful.”
Fostering empathy and enhancing student understanding about the challenges faced by returning citizens, the reentry simulation highlights Belmont Law’s commitment to bringing real-world challenges into the academic environment.
Learn more about Belmont's College of Law.