The power of lived experience

• In Event: DCS Handbook on Lived Experience: Exploring the Possibilities of Lived Experience

Abstract

It is imperative to include people with shared experiences in reform within the criminal legal system. Firsthand knowledge of the system's shortcomings provides invaluable perspectives essential for meaningful change. By granting people with shared experience a seat at the table, they are empowered as stakeholders in their own transformation and societal reentry, fostering a sense of agency and accountability. Moreover, involving people with direct experience with a problem not only entails an inclusive approach that facilitates a deeper understanding of the multifaceted factors shaping criminal behavior and transformation, but it also guides reform efforts toward more holistic solutions. Shared experience involvement aligns with principles of justice, equity, and accountability, leading to more effective, humane, and socially responsible corrections and sentencing policies. It also acknowledges justice involved individuals as active participants in shaping a fairer, just, and transformative system.

Authors

• Brian Jones, N/A

• Jennifer E. Cobbina-Dungy, Michigan State University