SWK8035_Wk10_A1

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1 Political Advocacy Campaign for Policy Change to Benefit Clients Brooke Chambers Department of Social Work and Human Services SWK8035 - Advanced Social Work Policy and Practice Dr. Tina Jaeckle 06/07/2023

2 Advocacy campaign for The Second Time Offenders Act This paper aims to discuss the previously recommended policy changes to the second-time offenders act. Stakeholders on the local, state, and federal levels will be explored with a focus on the policy change being local. An analysis covering benefits and potential methods to secure the changes will include. Lastly, an advocacy campaign will be made to fit the implementation and evaluation of the changes for the second-time offenders act. This paper will include information regarding the stakeholders. According to Varcasovsxzky & Bruhga, a stakeholder can include a magnetite of individuals, such as a person, a specific group impacted by the policy, or even a company. Stakeholders can be on a local, state, or federal level. This paper identifies the stakeholders as rehab facilities, mental health facilities, and community leaders. Introduction Many things are essential within the social work field; advocacy can be one of those, along with policy change. As social workers, we aim to address the needs of individuals on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Both advocacy and policy change can be done at any of these levels. There are many goals for the social work profession, one of which is the ability to promote and advocate for social, economic, and political justice for all individuals (Colby et al., 2013). According to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2021) Standard 6.04, "Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully; Social Workers should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions to meet basic human needs and promote social justice (NASW, 2021)."

3 Social workers are essential in the workings of policy change, and this is how social change is possible and allows the intended populations to have an advocate. Social workers have an advantage over others as they can cut through specific logistics related to policy practice that others cannot (Pawer, 2019). Social workers engage in policy practice by proposing new policies or changes to existing policies. Policy Change The United States has many individuals incarcerated; The US locks up more people than any other nation. Currently, there are 1.9 million people confined nationwide, according to Prison Policy Initiative (Sawyer & Wagner, 2022). Second-time offenders within the judicial system are a big issue. The second chance act was approved and created in 2008 to help reduce criminals reoffending and develop strategies for the public to improve their safety. Second Chance Act (SCA), which “supports state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations in their work to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people returning from state and federal prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities” (2022). This policy covers what happens to an individual who is a habitual offender. It outlines guidelines on how they will be charged for their crimes and what crimes are considered second- time offenses. While this policy covers offenders, some things are not covered within this policy, and there are numerous reasons behind these. Limitations in some programs and services have resulted in the need for more support outside of prison. This has resulted in local and state agencies struggling to provide support, jobs, case management, and healthcare aimed at self- sufficiency for offenders.

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4 It does not talk about agencies that can help offenders upon their release; nothing talks about how to help prevent and provide resources and support to this population. The federal “Second Chance Act of 2005” calls for expanding reentry services for people leaving prison. However, existing policies restrict access to needed services for those with criminal records and multiple convictions-related challenges, including limited access to housing, public assistance, and other resources (Pogorzelski et al., 2005). Change within this policy is vital as this population can consist of race, sexual orientation, and religion. They only know how to survive in prison, not in a community with law-abiding citizens. The Rationale for policy change When someone is released from prison, they have a choice, do they go back to their old life, same friends, same hangouts, or do they do something different; start down a new path? The policy does not include local resources and supports for prisoners to start their new path. This change in the approach to adding more community resources and support would allow them to have their basic needs met. With this population being so diverse and so many co-occurring issues that need to be addressed, as social workers, we need to investigate the subpopulations of these individuals. Those can be the ones with disabilities, mental and physical health issues, people of color, and LGBTQ offenders; these are the groups we serve and ensure they have the support to meet their needs. These changes in the policy will allow individuals to meet with an assigned social worker upon their release and be provided with the resources within their community. The social worker and the individual can call the agencies, set appointments, create a resume, prepare for a job interview, and secure a job. Many individuals in jail are still second-time offenders; the focus for social workers needs to be rehabilitation and teaching skills to become self-sufficient and not

5 resort to their old ways of survival. When looking from a social work perspective, the code of ethics talks about the importance of participating and stepping into the leadership role with stakeholder collaborations, advocating for criminal justice reforms, engaging in research and written materials to develop policies that speak from the social workers perspective on social issues (NASW, 2013, p.9). Having that additional support is essential in their recovery and self- sufficiency. Second-time offending also has several unintended consequences; for instance, many individuals serving sentences and being released on probation could have an undiagnosed mental health illness which can contribute to their reoffending, and the lack of support provided upon release can worsen their illness. Not having available resources and supports to those being released from prison to address their needs can contribute to reoffending and being sent back to jail. Rosenthal (2016) urges us as social workers to address the consequences of oppression that these diverse groups experience because there is so much research out there that shows the consequences of it. Unintended consequences can happen when implementing a policy due to unanticipated outcomes of the policy's true intent. The second-time offenders act outlines what will happen if an individual reoffends, but it has fallen short on how to prevent them from reoffending. This has resulted in many individuals reoffending and returning to jail for not getting the appropriate services and resources needed to be self-sufficient once released. The new policy Second Chance allows those who have completed their punishment an opportunity to transition back to their communities as law-abiding and contributing members of society.

6 There are a few ways that these negative consequences can be reduced. Further research related to the needed support to address the population's needs to understand the policy's effects upon their release. Using qualitative studies can assist with developing an appropriate theory, allowing the information to be analyzed through different case studies, interviews, and surveys. This valuable information will help propose changes so that the policy will alleviate those variables the individuals face. As this population does not always advocate for themselves, they have started to push for changes related to the criminal justice system. Other priorities need to be addressed as well. Stakeholders Stakeholders can be identified on the local, regional, and federal levels. Moreover, each level can help with different aspects of the policy change. Local stakeholders for the second chance act include rehab facilities, mental health facilities, and community leaders. Some stakeholders also challenge a policy related to the judicial system. These stakeholders are known as oppositional stakeholders, and they can be a challenge to a good policy; these are the ones that prevent the policy from going further and being active. These stakeholders can consist of community members who may need more resources to provide the support necessary for the services to help, political parties, and anyone who has been a victim of a crime. The opposition may have a conflict due to their party, political and individual beliefs on helping an offender. There are many different stakeholders involved with the Second chance act, and negotiating with those stakeholders is critical for advocating for the policy change to include more resources and support for those released from prison. Though many stakeholders are involved in the Second chance act, Local stakeholders can be the most challenging and opposing

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7 to the changes in the policy. Therefore, one must negotiate with critical stakeholders efficiently when examining how a social worker can advocate for policy change. The stakeholder of most interest for this paper is Congress. While Congress approved the second chance act in 2008, they have failed to pass on the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, which focuses on increasing those needed resources and criminal justice reform. Funding the policy may be a factor in their decision, as the states will fund the program. Engagement and Negotiation As a social worker advocating for more resources available to offenders released from prison, my primary role would be to outline the need for more resources and how these will help decrease the chances of reoffending. This can be done by collaborating with stakeholders on all levels and bringing them the data showing how the resources and services on each level are vital for the recovery and success of each offender upon their release. Pawar (2019) talks about how social workers involved with policies operate on a level of professionalism. Their values and principles guide social workers ethically when advocating for populations in policy practice. Securing supports Social Workers can significantly impact policy change by working closely with the individuals that social policies affect the most. Jaswal and Kshetrimayum (2020) discuss the best way for social workers to promote change; social workers must address challenges and be aware of the well-being of their clients to promote change, increase their development of skills, and increase their self-empowerment. The most essential component of advocacy is communication (Thackeray & Hunter, 2010). Also, Awareness is vital regarding advocacy; awareness can be spread using social media outlets. According to Maryville University (2022),

8 social media and activism work together and can bring awareness to a cause through virtual platforms. Social Media allows the opportunity for photos, videos, discussion forums, blogging, and so much more. This will allow for more sharing and networking, help highlight the different voices for social change, and increase collaboration with local agencies with similar missions for change. When advocating for the offender population, one must communicate effectively and engage with policymakers by adhering to those values and principles outlined in the code of ethics to see a positive change. According to Jaswal and Kshetrimayum (2020), thinking critically in different levels and areas of Social Work is essential; social workers must be versatile and adaptive as these areas can include social, legal, economic, political, or cultural contexts. Utilizing social media outlets allows for little to no costs; it will allow for a broad spread of awareness. Implementing a policy campaign will include identifying the problem, setting clear goals, measuring the outcomes, and implementing outreach and policy (REDEGroup, 2015). A campaign can reach a global level on the meta-level thanks to technology. The implantation of the policy will be a mixture of what is listed above, ensuring that awareness is implemented as well. A panel discussion could benefit the campaign; organizing panel discussions within communities and prisons and posting them on social media will allow for awareness and further interest in the second chance act. Yeung (2018) describes how social media can be a vital source of information and can help catalyze policy action and social change. Social media is a great tool to utilize as it can help others understand the issues.

9 A proposed model for evaluating increasing resources and supports for the second chance act would be that of Stakeholder Mapping as an evaluation tool. Stakeholder mapping can be used as an evaluation tool for assessing the effectiveness of a policy (Mohammad et al., 2009). This approach has six steps, which can be used to determine the effectiveness of a policy change. Step one determining the goals and objectives will ensure they are clear and have no discrepancies. Step two, the stakeholders will need to be identified, and upon that identification, a clear description should be included on whether they influence or are influenced by the change. Following this will be step 3, which is developing the stakeholder-goal matrix. Within this, we will see the different stakeholders and their objectives for the plan. Steps 4 and 5 include an analysis to study the goals, assess the plans, and ensure they align. Finally, in step 6, this analysis will show which tasks and objectives need to be changed or which need to be excluded (Mohammad et al., 2009). When we look at policy evaluation, it is essential to understand the purpose. It is used better to understand the policy's effectiveness and areas for improvement. The evaluation can be an excellent tool for any policy change as it allows the opportunity to ensure that the changes are making a difference. Conclusion This paper explored the proposed recommendation for the second chance act with additional support and resources for offenders to be self-sufficient once released from prison. Stakeholders were identified; social media was a design tool to gain the needed support for the change. A discussion was included on the implementation and evaluation of the policy change.

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10 Resources Colby, I. C., Dulmas, C. N., & Sowers, K. M. (Eds.). (2013). Social work and social policy: Advancing economic and social justice principles. Wiley. Maryville University. (2022). a guide to activism in the digital age. Retrieved from:https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism NASW. (2021). Code of ethics. National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from: https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English Pawar, M. (2019). Social work and social policy practice: Imperatives for political engagement. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 1(1), 15-27 Pogorzelski, W., Wolff, N., Pan, K. Y., & Blitz, C. L. (2005). Behavioral health problems, ex- offender reentry policies, and the "Second Chance Act." American Journal of public health, 95(10), 1718–1724. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.065805 REDE Group. (2015). Policy Change Model. Healthy Communities, Healthy People. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/CHRONICDISEASE/HPCDPConne ction/Documents/hpcdp_policy_change_model_revision_2.pdf Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equality. American Psychologist, 71(6), 474-485.Doi:10.1037/a0040323 Thackeray, R., & Hunter, M. (2010). Empowering youth: Use of technology in advocacy to effect social change. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,15(4), 575-591.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01503.x

11 Varvasovszky, Z., & Brugha, R. (2000). A stakeholder analysis. Health policy and planning,15(3),338-345

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