My Journey with Prisoners: Perceptions, Observations & Opinions (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780984297689)

Carol E. Briney, a contemporary grounded theorist in the educational environment, is the founding executive director of Reentry Bridge Network, Inc. Briney believes that a systematic approach is required to reduce the likelihood of recidivism. For nearly a decade she has written and facilitated holistic pro-social programs inside prisons and in community forums. Her programs support bridging the gap between prison and community by focusing on human value, grief-impairment, daily literacy, reentry and job readiness, trauma-informed care, the healing arts, and understanding poverty. The foundation of Briney's work is fundamentally twofold. First, her strong belief that if we can't help people to discover and believe their own value on a universal level, how can we expect them to see the value in their victims or their environment? The second is her belief that all crime is ultimately driven by trauma; and marginalized people have suffered complex compound traumas that have affected most areas of their development. These traumas have to be addressed and reframed in a way that teaches coping skills and diffuses the acting out that is the result of the pressing dilemmas of unresolved trauma and resultant anger. Briney is pursuing her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies based on her research in trauma and crime. She earned her Master of Liberal Studies from Kent State University; her Bachelor of Arts Fine Arts with Psychology minor from the University of New Mexico; her Associate of Arts Fine Arts from Central New Mexico College; and her certification as a Trauma Specialist from the TLC Institute. Briney enjoyed an extensive national corporate management background before retooling her focus on public administration and non-profit organizations.