The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.
- Carl Rogers |
Corrections / Reentry Professionals
Fair Shake offers corrections and other reentry professionals – such as parole/probation officers, social workers, educators, restorative justice volunteers and more – a unique opportunity to support a formerly incarcerated individual’s transition to society.
We support you in your efforts and we offer you many free options!
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- RESOURCES! Simply select and print resources from our Resource Directory
- FREE OFFLINE SOFTWARE and secure website for tablets. (available to prisons and jails)
- PRINT: Documents from our Reentry Ownership Manual (more information below)
- SHARE YOUR RESOURCES: Help us help others by contributing to the Resource Directory
- CONTACT Sue Kastensen at sue(at)fairshake(dot)net.
Fair Shake Channel
Sue Kastensen, Fair Shake’s founder and director, is recording segments of the presentation that she offers in prisons and jails. In these videos she will explore the website, discuss the Reentry Ownership Manual and share stories about why she started Fair Shake and why she continues to be so passionate about reentry!
Feel free to download these and share them with the folks who have tablets.
NEW! Print State Resource flyers and Fair Shake’s ‘quick start’ guide! Print this small ‘reentry pack’ – with state and national resources – for folks preparing for release! (click here)
Share the Reentry Ownership Manual Digitally!
The Reentry Ownership Manual is being used in several facilities for reentry classes, employment preparation classes and more. Feel free to share one page or the whole book! At one of the facilities in the Missouri DOC, the Ownership Manual has been freely distributed on tablets! I received a message from Matt, telling me that he “downloaded the Owner’s Manual as a pdf and posted it on all the offender tablets for them to review.” Feel free to share it on the tablets in your facility, too.
Download / Print a Fair Shake Reentry Ownership Manual
You can ‘flip’ through the book here.
We can also ship a box of Ownership Manuals for your library or Reentry Resource room! Email Sue with questions: sue(at)fairshake(dot)net
Build a Custom Reentry Packet!
Find, Save and Print resources and reentry information for free!
You can build custom packets when you combine the resources you find and save, with the employment, mental health, and other supportive documents found in the new OWNERSHIP MANUAL.
Custom Reentry Packet Builder
Reentry Innovation In Prison
West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation
West Virginia’s teachers offer free Member Accounts to folks nearing release. This supports reentry in many ways:
1. People will be ready to connect to employers
2. Resumes and other supportive documents can be uploaded and accessed after release.
3. Folks learn to use the tools available on the Fair Shake website which will help them use the entire website and the internet after release!
4. A Computer Basics tutorial is available for those who need to build their computer skills.
“Fairshake.net provides useful employment, re-entry, and life skill resources for my students. The website enables me to create accounts for my students and assist with the creation of online portfolios. Once released, my students can access their Fair Shake accounts to continue using the resources as they transition into daily life outside of corrections.” – Charity C.
“I’d like to thank Sue Kastensen for her vision to create the Fair Shake platform. Steady employment is a huge element of successful reentry and we spend a great deal of time on job training skills and preparing the incarcerated for the world of work. ” – Jay V.
Oklahoma Dept of Corrections
The educators in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections have created an innovative approach to reentry studies. They built their curriculum utilizing a number of resources assembled together, much like a college course, to provide not only the information contained in the lessons, but also the understanding that there is no single way to study reentry (there are many ways), and also to incorporate Fair Shake’s software into their lessons inside so that the incarcerated will be comfortable utilizing the website once they go home.
The Oklahoma DOC shared a teacher’s reentry lesson plan, and a fun and thought-provoking reentry word games book, created by a student.
12 days of Reentry Lesson plans (incorporating Fair Shake)
OK DOC teacher’s FS Lesson Plans
Download or print the word games book:
Free Software Application
Fair Shake’s software performs exactly like the website – but without internet access. Users can search the Resource Directory, peruse the Ownership Manual, learn Computer Basics and much more. It’s FREE and available to load on your stand-alone computers. 
Available as a download, flash drive or DVD, for use on an unlimited number of machines. Sign-up here.
NOTE: We are currently sending version 2.0.6, which will only run on WIN 10 and 11. For older operating systems, please request version 1.3.6, our most recent version that will work with XP through WIN 10.
Email Sue: sue(at)fairshake(dot)net for more information.
Prepare For Work!
app.fairshake.net/prepare-for-work/
- – Resume Writing Ideas
- – Letter of Explanation
- – Prepare For Your Interview
- … and much more!
Self-Directed Computer Basics Tutorial
Need help teaching computer skills? We have tutorials, short cuts and more on our
Building Computer Skills page!
(Also available in our FREE Software application)
Send Digital Property Too!
A fast, easy, free way to send people home with their Digital Property:
Google Drive (15 GB free) google.com/drive
Drop Box (2 GB free) dropbox.com
Support for Parents
Prison Parenting Programs is edited by Jerry Bednarowski.and published by the Correctional Educators Association – Wisconsin.
This directory has been created to help correctional educators and community agencies enhance existing or create new parenting programs in correctional facilities and the community.
Prison Parenting Programs booklet
Parenting Inside Out (PIO) is a program of The Pathfinder Network, a 501©(3) non-profit founded to provide justice system-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be safe and thrive in our communities that serve thousands of individuals and families each year.
SHARE RESOURCES!
Help us build the most comprehensive free reentry resource library! Feel free to email single resources, spread sheets or names with links. We’ll get them in the directory so people around the country can benefit from your contribution.
Thank you!
email Sue with resources and/or questions: sue(at)fairshake(dot)net