Re-Entry Is a Brave Beginning: Finding Housing, Work, and Hope After Prison

Re-Entry Is a Brave Beginning: Finding Housing, Work, and Hope After Prison
by, Shawna Turner

Coming home after prison can feel like stepping into a world that kept moving without you.
You may be doing everything “right”—showing up, trying, staying focused—yet still facing closed doors. Housing applications that stall. Job interviews that end the moment your record comes up. Old contacts suddenly reappearing with familiar temptations. And underneath it all: the pressure to prove you’ve changed while you’re still trying to rebuild who you are.
At Adonai Counseling and Employment, we want to say this clearly:
Re-entry is not just a process. It’s a fight for stability, dignity, and hope. And you do not have to fight alone.

Why re-entry feels so hard, even when you’re determined
Many people think re-entry is only about willpower. But the truth is: re-entry is also about systems—and how difficult those systems can be to navigate with a record.
Nationally, the numbers show how common it is to get pulled back into the system. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that among people released from prison in a large multi-state study, 83% were arrested within 9 years (and 68% within 3 years).
That statistic isn’t there to discourage you. It’s there to tell the truth:
If re-entry feels heavy, it’s because it is.
And if you need support, that doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re human.

The housing struggle: “Where can I go when nobody will rent to me?”
Housing is often the first barrier—and the most urgent.
What can help right away

• Start with reentry-connected housing supports. In Washington, the Washington State Department of Corrections offers a Reentry Housing Assistance Program that may provide housing support for a limited time after release.
• Ask about structured reentry supports. Washington also has DOC reentry programs and reentry centers focused on transition, including employment and life-skills support.
• Apply wider than apartments. Rooms for rent, shared housing, faith-based transitional housing, and reentry programs can be a bridge while you stabilize your income and references.

Important note on screening
Housing rules and guidance can shift over time, and policies vary by landlord and program. If you hit a wall, it may be worth talking with a local housing advocate or legal aid about what options exist for your specific situation.

Getting a job with a record: it’s not hopeless—even when it feels like it
People with records are often talented, capable, and ready to work. The challenge is getting employers to see past fear and assumptions.
Washington protections you should know
Washington’s Fair Chance Act limits when many employers can ask about criminal history and is designed to help applicants compete based on qualifications first. The Washington State Attorney General's Office explains the law and employer requirements.
Practical job-search strategies that work

• Target “second chance” and skill-based employers. Warehousing, manufacturing, construction, food service, hospitality, sanitation, and some customer-service roles may be more open—especially if you can show reliability.
• Use a resume that highlights stability and strengths. A strong resume can reduce stigma by telling a clear, confident story about your skills and what you bring.
• Prepare a simple, honest “record statement.” You don’t need to overexplain. You need a calm, forward-focused explanation plus proof of growth (training, references, consistency).

Employment help exists—don’t leave it on the table
The U.S. Department of Labor points people to American Job Centers for job search help and notes resources like federal bonding and employer tax incentives that can make it easier for employers to say yes.
In Washington, there are also ongoing reentry employment efforts—like Employment Security Department initiatives providing reentry help (including job search support and connections to housing and services in certain counties).

The hardest part nobody talks about: the pull of old friendships and fast money
Even with housing and job goals, the streets can call you back—especially when:

• you’re lonely
• you’re stressed
• you can’t find work fast enough
• you’re trying to fit in again
• you miss people who once felt like “family”

This is where re-entry becomes more than paperwork. It becomes emotional and spiritual.

What helps you stay free
1) Build a new circle on purpose
You don’t need a lot of people—you need the right ones. One steady mentor, one support group, one accountability partner can change everything.
2) Learn your triggers before they learn you
Stress, rejection, boredom, paydays, certain neighborhoods, certain phone calls—your triggers are not moral failures. They’re patterns. Once you name them, you can plan around them.
3) Replace—not just resist
“Don’t go back” is not a plan. A plan sounds like:

• “When I feel tempted, I call ___.”
• “When I feel ashamed, I go to ___.”
• “When I need money fast, I do ___ instead.”

4) Keep your ‘why’ visible
A photo of your kids. A note in your wallet. A list on your phone. Something that reminds you:
I didn’t come this far to go back.

What Adonai Counseling and Employment can do with you
We support the full reality of re-entry—the practical and the personal.
Employment support

• Resume writing (ATS-friendly, skill-forward)
• Job search planning and applications
• Interview preparation + mock interviews
• Help identifying realistic employment options now (and career options next)

Workshops and classes

• Resume + interview workshops
• Workplace readiness and communication
• Conflict management and emotional regulation at work
• Goal-setting, time management, and staying consistent

Compassionate support for the inner fight
Because re-entry is not just “getting hired.” It’s staying grounded when life tests you.

A closing word: you are not your worst chapter
Re-entry can be exhausting. It can be discomfiting. It can feel unfair.
But it can also be the start of a life you never thought you’d be allowed to have.
If you are trying—if you are showing up—if you are choosing growth over old patterns--that matters.
And if you need help, Hope Re-Entry and Adonai Counseling and Employment are here. Not to judge your past, but to help you build your future—step by step, with real support.

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