Felon’s Alphabet: R is for relapse prevention plan

I thought long and hard about this month’s alphabet letter “R.” A few immediate “R” words came to mind: rehabilitation, resilience, remorse, redemption, and even regret. All very good and appropriate. Finally, it came to me, and I still can’t believe I didn’t think of this at once. Because at any given time, all over this institution, there are folks either working on them or talking about them. 

“R” is for relapse prevention plans. 

A relapse prevention plan is a plan designed to help you identify when you are triggered both internally and externally and what to do to effectively cope with those feelings when they arise. 

Relapse prevention plans are a Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) requirement. All incarcerated individuals going to Board must include relevant relapse prevention plans in their board packets. 

Remember that all plans are unique to the individual. No two plans should be the same. While the format of the plans can be and often are similar, please do not make the mistake of copying a friend’s plan and passing it off as your own. You will be expected to discuss your plans intelligently, and therefore, you should have a working knowledge of your plan and all that it entails. 

Below is a sample of an anger relapse prevention plan. 

Internal Triggers: Feeling belittled, stupid, excessively hungry, excessively tired either physically or emotionally, and/or helpless/powerless. 

External Triggers: Being talked down to, yelled at, physically touched without permission, falsely accused, and/or treated unfairly. 

Coping Skills: Create space/distance from the upsetting situation or person, take a cold shower, reframe the situation, repeat a curated personal mantra: “You are going to be OK,” and/or eat chocolate. 

Who To Call: This is where you list the people who are in your corner. Ideally, these are people who have already agreed to “be there” for you when you call and help you get through the current situation. These are also people who know you well and are well-versed in the ins and outs of your interpersonal struggles. 

As time goes by and you either develop different coping skills or add to your already existing ones, feel free to adjust your plan. It is not written in stone; it is a tool designed by you to help you. Make it work for you by being authentic and transparent. If talking to a friend does not help you when you are angry, do not include talking to a friend as a coping skill. Pick a coping skill that actually works for you. 

It is important not to overthink and complicate this process. BPH commissioners want to see you articulate how you are going to deal with the causative factors that have brought you to prison. In this case, simply put: Are you able to identify when you are beginning to get angry? How are you able to identify that you are angry? How are you going to then effectively cope with that anger? 

Ultimately, you must show the BPH that you have a good handle on all your causative factors. Err on the side of more, so include detail in your plans. Rinse and repeat with all other relapse prevention plans.