Language Guides

A language guide was created by the Underground Scholars at UC Berkeley with a focus on person-centered language that is considerate and respectful when discussing the formerly incarcerated community: Click here to access this information!

The Marshall Project has created their own Language Project which serves three purposes:

First, through a series of powerful pieces by and about people with intimate experience with incarceration, we show the human impact of the words we choose. Second, our guide, “What Words We Use — and Avoid — When Covering People and Incarceration,” makes public our decision to avoid labels such as “inmate,” in favor of language that follows the logic of “person-first” language. Third, we provide alternatives to the labels.

My Reentry Roadmap

Officers from the Reentry Support Unit and the Community Transition Center within the Collaborative Reentry Services Division teamed up to create the 34-page “My Reentry Roadmap” resource based on a 2012 Reentry Guide designed by the District Attorney’s office. The guide was modernized, updated, and modified to make it relevant and user friendly. It includes current resources and information related to 2-1-1, housing, obtaining identification(s), employment, and receiving mail, to name a few. Most of the information applies to all populations, even those not releasing to community supervision. The guide also includes planning worksheets to assist clients with successful reentry and accessing community-based resources. It is designed so each resource can be a standalone document/handout.
Please click here to access the document.