• Support groups help reduce recidivism.manette image by Giuseppe Porzani from Fotolia.com
  
  It is necessary for ex-offenders to have support groups and opportunities for a second chance or fresh start if they are to get out of the cycle of lifelong habits that can cause subsequent incidents. Supportive environments are also necessary for ex-offenders in order to stem the tide of recidivism (subsequent commissions of crimes that lead to re-incarceration).
  
  

Job Training

• A good job training program doesn't just talk about what to do, they do it and set an example for others in the process. The Second Chance support group, among many other social assistance programs, helps ex-offenders through PREP. PREP helps ex-offenders with job training through "Strive" (Support Training Results in Valuable Employees), a program designed to help ex-offenders with attitude adjustment, job readiness skills and post-placement support services, as well as resume development and interview techniques. Those who are thinking of starting their own support group initiative for ex-offenders would do well to remember that most ex-offenders are typically in need of immediate long-term housing, work, clothing, food, educational services and support after these needs are met. Some will also need substance abuse counseling or can benefit from behavioral management programs.
  
  

Housing

• Housing is an absolute essential for an ex-offender. If they do not have a base from which to operate, complete with address and phone number, they will be able to get much done on the road to recovery. The National Housing Institute's SHIP (Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships) program provides sober housing, recovery support, work training and job opportunities in the green economy. The US Department of Justice has developed a .brochure for those who would like to develop housing for ex-offenders in their communities.
  
  

Life Skills

• Many ex-offenders lack the necessary social skills to reintegrate themselves into the hull of mainstream society. Support groups such as "Life After Lockup," also sponsored by the National Housing Institute, help point ex-offenders in the direction of finding a place to live where they can get life and job skills training. When ex-offenders are not allowed to break old habits and exchange for a set of new ones, the possibility that they will commit another crime increases. For most, the answer is not to hold them in an unending cycle that pushes them over the edge and affects society as a whole. Ex-offenders whose minds and thought patterns are re-trained can benefit from the discovery that the way they did it before is not the only choice there is. Life skills training specializes in directing the mindset away from criminal behavior and into the thought process of becoming a productive member of society. You can develop a volunteer support network in your church or community to help re-orient ex-offenders to life outside of prison walls.
  
  

Substance Abuse Treatment

• Substance abuse adds another layer to the trials and tribulations of an ex-offender, who will already have a hard time trying to start over. If they also have issues of abuse and substance abuse to deal with, the road before them is not as clear as it would be if they did not have other issues along with the social label of having committed some type of crime. Self-help is expedient, but outside intervention in the form of substance abuse support groups are also necessary. The Northern California Service League not only provides substance abuse counseling after the fact, but also extends their services to those who are still incarcerated who have a good chance of getting out and will need to be reintegrated into mainstream society.