HIV prevention program for ex-offenders succeeds
HIV prevention program for ex-offenders succeeds
Teaching listening, patience
Before HIV educators can hope to change HIV risk behavior among high-risk ex-offenders, they need to help these men and women change their attitudes about their lives in general, an expert says.
"They're so used to getting new pairs of sneakers by going to the street corner and selling drugs," says David Howard, community re-entry specialist with AIDS Council of Northeastern New York.
Howard tries to teach them how they'll appreciate what they have more if they work, wait, and save for them.
"Life's a slow walk," Howard says.
Ex-offenders often listen to what Howard says because he is an ex-offender too: "They know the passion in me to help people," he says.
Howard's approach combines the practical with the emotional. He'll hand out a dozen condoms, along with job leads, to men who have just re-entered the community. And he'll behave as a good friend or counselor who will listen to their concerns and patiently show them the way to make themselves marketable in what is always a difficult job environment.
When he finds a job for an ex-offender the reaction is often that it pays too little and requires too much.
Howard helps them put this in perspective.
"I tell a lot of gentlemen and women when I work with them that 'I can't do your job, but here's what will help you keep your job and move onto a better job,'" he says.
For example, Howard teaches them how to listen and follow what their employers or teachers are telling them.
"Listening means following directions and taking suggestions," Howard says. "A lot of people miss that point."
Occasionally there are success stories that show that ex-offenders can make lifetime changes, given the right kind of support and education.
"We had one guy who was in prison for 15 years for murder," Howard recalls. "I met him at a re-entry support group."
The man was big and intimidating, but Howard saw that he wanted to change.
"He liked what I said, and he latched on to some of the things I said at a re-entry program," Howard says. "He got a job eight days later as a part-time worker at a deli."
Within two weeks, the man had become a full-time employee, and a month later he received a raise and was considered to be one of the owner's best hires.
With help from the re-entry support group, the man then met the owners of a weatherization business. He went to work for them and was eventually promoted to being a supervisor with a decent income, Howard says.
When the weatherization company hired another ex-offender, the older man served as a mentor, helping out his younger assistant, earning high praise from the business owner, Howard adds.
"I work with people who will listen to what I say and who are willing to have an opportunity to prove themselves," Howard says.
Before HIV educators can hope to change HIV risk behavior among high-risk ex-offenders, they need to help these men and women change their attitudes about their lives in general, an expert says.Subscribe Now for Access
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