Fostering spiritual resilience and vitality in formerly incarcerated persons of African American descent.

The process of reentry for formerly incarcerated persons can be a burdensome, stigma-laden transition, and any difficult transition requires resilience. African Americans-the group most impacted by incarceration trauma-commonly depend on faith leaders in times of crisis to provide meaning, encouragement, and guidance, fostering spiritual resilience. This study conceptualizes spiritual resilience and proposes it as a vital quality for successful reentry; giving credence to the significant role clergy and pastoral clinicians play in mediating restorative reintegration.