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Formerly incarcerated peer mentor tells committee early reentry must include mental-health bridge
Summary
At the Institutions Committee hearing, Chris Willers urged lawmakers to treat the first 72 hours after release as a clinical risk period, expand peer-led mentorship and ensure presumptive mental-health coverage to reduce crises and recidivism.
Saskia Washingtons Institutions Committee heard testimony from Chris Willers on Tuesday about the psychological hurdles people face when they leave prison and what state policy could do to ease reentry.
Willers, who identified himself as founder of LifeVing Inc. and a Georgia-certified forensic peer mentor, described the period immediately after release as a time of severe risk and disorientation. "The first 72 hours" are, he told the committee, "an extreme psychological whiplash" that often coincides with lack of supports and leads to crisis, overdose and reoffending.
Why it matters: Willers said insufficient pre-release planning and a lack of a mental-health "bridge" to community services leave newly released people without therapy, supports or timely medical care. He said those gaps are particularly acute for people returning after…
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