Caged Bird, Clipped Wings: Examining Trauma, Mental Health and Reentry

For African American men, the idea of freedom has always been a complex topic. History has shown a breakdown in how post slavery 'freedom' has presented itself with structural flaws. Furthermore, being incarcerated and returning 'into' freedom is not as seamless or automatic as it appears. Examining crime and punishment through the lens of historical trauma is an avenue not often explored. With discussions regarding prison reform and mental health initiatives on the rise, it is important to understand the relationship between history, incarceration, and mental health and its implication on successful reentry programming.

Caged Bird, Clipped Wings is an examination of the concept of crime and punishment, the "Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome", incarceration, and mental health. This book explores each in a way designed to help expand conversations surrounding prison reform for minority communities, in efforts of designing programming that will reduce recidivism through a more culturally competent lens.