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A prison reentry program by prisoners for prisoners. Peer-to-peer support with properly trained individuals we call mentors. A mentor is there to offer guidance with everything from learning how to use a cell phone, get a replacement SS card or learn how to grocery shop and plan meals.  For a recently incarcerated person to succeed in being a productive member of society, they must first have a strong foundation to work from. 

• Funds for driver’s license, ID, clothes, toiletries, and other incidentals that are lacking in funding.
  
• Weekly calls and daily support as needed from a mentor.
  
• Personalized reentry plan
  
• Interpersonal communication education training
  

Over 10,000 people are released from state and federal prisons every week. Reentry programs are designed to assist incarcerated individuals with a successful transition to their community after they are released. From 2001 to 2015 Congress authorized $642.89 million dollars and though the First Step Act authorizes Congress to appropriate $75 million per year between 2019 and 2023 for reentry projects to help Americans transition from the justice system to the workforce. Despite millions being invested in workforce reentry programs, the recidivism rate was nearly 40% of those convicted of nonviolent offenses were arrested within eight years according to a U.S. Sentencing Commission report on recidivism among federal prisoners, released on January 24, 2019. Something is missing with our approach to reentry.  These programs focus on several key issues for those transitioning back to society, housing, employment, mental health, education, and substance abuse treatment. Every person has a right to a place to live, good mental health, substance abuse treatment is needed, a means of income, and the ability to further their education. But imagine that you have been incarcerated anywhere from a few years to 20, 30, or more years. During that time, you have been “institutionalized”. You are told when what and where to eat, when to shower etc. Once incarcerated any free will or choice is taken from you. Your release date is here and you are overjoyed to be free and depending on your support system you begin to learn society’s rules again and begin work on reintegrating. For many though, the sad truth is there is no one there when they are released. We have spent hours talking with recently released men and women about what made reentry easier and what were/are their struggles and have designed our program to fill in those gaps and smooth out their reentry.

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Source: Data provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services Office.