Reentry simulation coming to Butler County could help identify any issues in existing system
It’s one thing to know about something. It’s another to experience it.
Warden Beau Sneddon recently went through a reentry simulation — a training that put him in the shoes of someone who was recently released from jail. The simulation tasked him with getting a job, completing therapy, finding transportation and more.
He couldn’t do it. He stood in long lines, got a probation violation for causing a disturbance in a treatment meeting and ultimately paid other participants $50 to falsify employment documents.
In the Sunday edition of the Eagle, staff writer Molly Miller detailed Sneddon’s experience and noted his plan to bring the reentry simulation to Butler County later this year.
Now, while we should take a moment to recognize that the simulation is not really the same as living through something, there is significant value that can come from this.
“It’s harder than we think. There was this realization in the room that it’s one step below impossible,” Sneddon said about his experience with the simulation.
The need for change was clear, but what exactly that entails is where the next challenge lies.
This fall, the simulation is expected to come to Butler County, Sneddon said. At that time, the training will be available for Sneddon’s staff, probation officers, court administrators and others.
We applaud the warden for his effort in bringing this program to Butler County and hope it will help those in positions to make a difference to identify where change needs to happen.
— TL
