Launched in 2011 through a partnership between the Inasmuch Foundation and the United Way of Central Oklahoma, ReMerge has evolved into an effective diversion program for mothers in the criminal justice system.
Since the organization’s inception, more than 230 women have graduated from its programs. Those who stick it out benefit from a sense of purpose and lifelong skills that help them navigate toward a more stable, productive life.
In this Q&A, ReMerge CEO Erin Engleke talks about the program’s successes and how it is adapting in a world where funding for programs has become more scarce at the federal level. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and style.
One of the overarching goals of ReMerge is to provide structure and stability to women with minor children who are facing incarceration. What are some of the biggest challenges participants face while in the program, and what is the recidivism rate for those who complete it versus those who don’t participate in programs like ReMerge?
The women who come to ReMerge have had the odds stacked against them for years, if not decades: a lack of education, stable housing, unhealed trauma, unstable relationships, addiction, and mental health and behavior challenges that have not been addressed or supported.
When a mom is in our program, she is wrestling with all of those barriers. But thanks to the support of nearly 90 partners, ReMerge is eliminating the issues that have kept them from healing and becoming the best versions of themselves.
While in our program, it is paramount participants get to the root of why they are battling addiction or substance use disorder and why they are justice-involved. That is not easy! Healing from trauma is a slow process, which is why my team at ReMerge is patient, supportive and empowering — something most (if not all) of our moms have never received in their lives.
By the end of our program, after roughly 17-24 months, our mothers graduate with housing, transportation, stable employment, healthy relationships with their families, sobriety, renewed life skills and healthy coping skills. Because of the holistic nature of our program, less than 5 percent of our mothers reenter the criminal legal system compared to over 20 percent through the Department of Corrections. Our approach works.
Federal grant cuts have become prevalent over the last year. How have those cuts impacted programs like ReMerge, and what is your level of concern about future cuts?
We’ve been fortunate not to be affected by significant cuts to date. However, the instability of what decisions may be made to funding causes tremendous tension and anxiety for organizations like ours who are actively serving individuals who directly benefit from government support.
Most recently, the moms we served were impacted dramatically by the sudden cut in SNAP benefits. My team and I, with the tremendous support of the community, created a food pantry to subsidize the needs of our participants, many of whom have young children and rely on their SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their babies.
I am grateful those benefits have now been reinstated, but I continue to worry that funding, as well as other grants which support our programming, could be terminated at any moment. The mothers we serve come to us from a life — an environment — of instability, and it is my utmost priority to protect them from inconsistency now that they’re on a path of recovery and healing.
ReMerge focuses on women who are in the criminal justice system. What are some state, county or municipal justice reforms that could be enacted to improve the rate of incarceration?
Our high rates of incarceration are not necessary, and reducing the number of women (and men) in our justice system should be a priority. One of the first steps would be to eliminate or significantly reduce exorbitant fees and fines or imposing sentencing for not paying said fees and fines.
Oklahoma County has set a positive example by providing treatment and diversion court programming, as well as offering cost waivers, but we need to see more rural communities model the same efforts. It’s also extremely important that we invest in more crisis intervention teams and trauma-informed trainings and approaches for law enforcement and first responders.
In order for individuals to be better supported once they become justice-involved, they need and deserve appropriate legal counsel. More funding for public defenders would address that need.
There continues to be a stigma around individuals who are justice-involved and the belief that they “deserve” to be punished or incarcerated when, in fact, most need treatment for substance use disorder and resources to overcome what led them to be in the criminal legal system. I would love to see more training offered to prosecutors, judges and law enforcement when it comes to alcohol, substance use, mental health and the sentencing of individuals.
Children are often affected by the actions of their parents. Can you talk about the benefits that programs like ReMerge have for the children of women facing incarceration as those children transition through childhood, to adolescence and later, young adulthood?
The work of ReMerge is absolutely breaking generational cycles of trauma, poverty, addiction and incarceration. Sadly, 70 percent of children who come from families that have been justice-involved will follow in the same paths as their parent(s) or guardian.
If we don’t intervene as a society, the cycle will be perpetuated. The truth is, for the mothers we serve at ReMerge, the majority have experienced significant childhood trauma that was not addressed appropriately and resulted in them modeling the behaviors they grew up around — a mother or father in jail, battling addiction and unable to heal from their own trauma.
By supporting the entire mother and getting to the root of why they have developed addictive and criminogenic behaviors, we are ensuring their children will not do the same. Every child deserves to be with their mother — their parent — and be raised in a nurturing, healthy home. Our work is putting a stop to future incarceration, reducing adverse childhood experiences and ensuring families are healthy and whole.
Participants in ReMerge are recognized during graduation ceremonies. For those who take part in the program, and for those who guide them through it, what are the most rewarding aspects of seeing people complete the program?
There’s nothing like a ReMerge graduation ceremony! In fact, there’s rarely a dry eye in the room as we all celebrate the remarkable courage, resilience and hard work each graduate has made to get to that day. Watching their families, children, employers and friends gather to make them feel special and truly witness transformation is a beautiful experience.
Probably one of the most special aspects of our graduation ceremonies is when a district attorney’s office presents each mother with a certificate, fully dismissing the felony charges that brought them to ReMerge. They walk in the doors of that ceremony a felon and leave as a sober, healthy woman and mother.
In your view, what value do ReMerge and programs like it provide for Oklahoma, both in the long run and short term? And what are some things that would be on your wish list to expand the program’s impact?
There is no other program like ReMerge in the United States. We are absolutely changing lives! Since we were founded in 2011, we have saved the state of Oklahoma $55 million, graduated 231 beautiful mothers to be reunited with their children, and ultimately created opportunities for these women in recovery to reinvest back into their community. Our society is healthier and more stable as a result.
As I look into the future for ReMerge and the mothers we serve, it is critical we enhance employment opportunities with more second chance (or recovery friendly) employers, as well as create more stable, affordable and safe housing.
