Event highlights challenges former incarcerated face after release

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ)- Roger Fox had been through it all.

“I used drugs and alcohol for 10 to 12 years,” says Fox. “”Incarceration, treatment, I would go home and I would always fail. I would have a good plan, right? I would say ‘I need to get a job, I need to find stable housing, I just need to find people that would support me.”

Once in recovery, he thought his challenges were over. But they were just beginning.

“It was always a failure. A dead end at a job. I couldn’t get housing because of my background,” says Fox.

Now, he’s hoping to shine a light on the difficulties he faced with others in the community.

Fox joined DV8 Kitchen, The Kentucky Department of Corrections, and other Lexington organizations to provide a glimpse into the challenges people returning from incarceration and addiction are facing through a live simulation. 15 stations are set up each representing real-life places someone would have to navigate when they’re first released.

Participants receive a fictional back story and then navigate through different stations in the life of that person, including finding a job, paying restitution, and getting identification.

“We’re trying to give people an understanding of obstacles and barriers that are put in front of people that are reentering the work force, trying to get housing, and opportunity after addiction or incarceration,” says DV8 Kitchen’s Rob Perez.

Once their sessions are done, they’ll go back and reflect on how they can better help those who have been incarcerated. Perez says often times, those challenges cause those in recovery to turn back to drugs and alcohol.

He’s hoping the simulation helps change people’s minds about providing help to those who need it.

“Our premise is that maybe in the private sector, we might be contributing tot hat recidivism. So the idea is ask the private sector to at least contemplate what barriers do they put up for any opportunities for jobs, housing or any other opportunity,” says Perez.

Organizers say they hope to have more events like this in the future.