NCJ Number
218354
Date Published
March 2007
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This book provides an illustration of how individuals, community organizations, faith institutions, businesses, and officials in three cities mobilized to build partnerships that addressed the escalating numbers of ex-prisoners returning to their communities.
Abstract
When these three programs started, they were responding to needs they identified in their local communities. They are considered pioneers in responding to the Nation’s prisoner reentry crisis, developing impressive programs and becoming part of the Ready4Work initiative. In Jacksonville, FL, Operation New Hope put ex-prisoners and others to work building and restoring homes for low-income residents. In Memphis, TN, the Second Chance program prepared ex-prisoners for work and recruited employers to hire them. Lastly, in Washington, DC, the East of the River Clergy-Police-Community Partnership paired volunteer mentors from churches with ex-prisoners and connected the latter with willing employers. The experiences of these three programs show that internal components and external relations are paramount to creating a successful reentry program. The workings of an organization, its model, structure, services, staffing, and leadership are the nuts and bolts that make it go. The experiences of the organizations profiled here suggest lessons for how other programs might structure their work to help ex-prisoners succeed in their transition back to the community. A reentry program must work with others in the community, such as local government, the criminal justice system, community organizations, churches, and employers, to maximize its effectiveness. The work of these three programs points to lessons about how to build and maintain those relationships. Operation New Hope, Second Chance and the East of the River Clergy-Police-Community Partnership raised awareness about the importance of reentry. Recommendation summary and references