The Tender Topic of Relapse in Community Corrections

Key takeaways:

• Relapse doesn’t mean failure—in many recovery journeys, it’s part of the process and can be an opportunity for meaningful intervention.
• Second chances work best when grounded in principle, not just emotion, balancing compassion with structure and community safety.
• Real change takes consistency, support, and the willingness to see potential beyond the mistake, not just enforce a rulebook.

While doing Motivational Interviewing training with community corrections staff, we began discussing the stages of change and specifically the topic of relapse. The stage of relapse brought up an interesting discussion with the group about which clients should get second chances.