Family Focused Discharge Planning

Osborne’s Family-Focused Discharge Planning program supports people preparing to return home from incarceration. Centered on healing, communication, and stability, the program provides intensive, relationship-based support to individuals who are at least 90 days away from their release date. 
 

Using a participant-led approach, we help individuals envision the life they want after incarceration and create a realistic, step-by-step plan to get there. Through an experience-based curriculum, participants reflect on what reintegration with family might look like, and examine the emotional challenges that come with it, such as managing fear, anger, anxiety, and resentment. They explore the impact incarceration has had on their family roles and sense of identity, while developing healthy communication skills and learning how to set clear boundaries. Each person leaves with a personal roadmap that prioritizes stability, healing, and long-term success.


Workshops prepare participants emotionally for reentry and provide space to reflect on past choices, identify environments and relationships that no longer support their growth, and develop strategies to move forward with purpose. As part of the planning process, we connect people to services that support their reentry goals. This includes referrals to parole-mandated programs, education and vocational training, substance use treatment, job readiness and employment support, and mental and physical health care, including HIV and hepatitis C treatment.


If a participant chooses, Osborne facilitates family events inside the facility before release to help rebuild trust and connection. Loved ones receive emotional support, referrals to Osborne programs, and guidance in preparing for reunification. These conversations also offer a space for family members to ask questions, share concerns, and begin healing together.

This early contact helps lay the foundation for healthier relationships, clearer expectations, and a smoother transition home for everyone involved. If requested, participants can continue working with Osborne after release.