After serving their jail term, prisoners are released into the community where they need to reintegrate with the rest of society. Transitioning into the community of prisoners who have completed their term is facilitated by different reentry programs across the country. The programs help alleviate the impact of stigma and profiling while others equip inmates with self-reliance skills, thus preempting recidivism chances.
Safer Foundation
Safer Foundation is a leading not-for-profit organization that majorly deals with reentry needs of people with criminal records. The primary goal of the Safer Foundation reentry program is human capital development. The organization, therefore, focuses on helpings its clients secure and maintain employment (“About Us-Safer foundation,” 2020). Indeed, having skills that can secure one a job is a fundamental approach to successful reentry. Jurmo (2018) notes that formerly incarcerated people face complex challenges that affect their ability to reintegrate into work, family, and civic roles successfully. Due to their criminal records, it becomes difficult for them to access employment opportunities or work facilitating documents such as driving licenses. The organization provides training and technical support on occupation matters to people with criminal records. Since Safer Foundation believes employment and related services are the keystones of reentry, filling this gap will help reduce recidivism by at least 17.5 percent (“About Us-Safer foundation,” 2020). Through this goal, the foundation hopes that those released from incarceration facilities will have means of earning their living, thus contributing positively to their communities' progress.
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UNICOR
UNICOR aims to contribute to the safety of society by helping formerly incarcerated people reintegrate with the rest of the community. Established and operated by the Federal government, the corporation's mission is to safeguard the community and decrease crime rates in society. UNICOR achieves this by preparing convicts for effective reentry into the community by providing them with job-specific skills (“BOP: UNICOR”). Like Safer Foundation, UNICOR's driving principle is giving inmates marketable job skills, which will mold them into law-abiding citizens. From its several training programs, the corporation believes that upon release, inmates will contribute positively to society. According to Taliaferro and Pham (2017), correctional training courses can substantially enhance the results of those reintegrating. Such training opens opportunities for employment because they link the inmates with the job market. For example, the authors state that in California, there are several reentry hubs that equip the inmates with the relevant knowledge and skills through various programs within four years of release. From these training and education programs, UNICOR helps reduce recidivism, government spending, and compensates society.
Prison University Project
The Prison University Project has a host of goals all aimed at ensuring that prisoners at San Quentin State Prison have successful reentry. The reintegration package includes Associate of Arts degree and College Preparatory programs, all offered for free. Through this package, the project aims to expand access to top-class higher education for prisoners, foster values for equity, civic engagement, and freedom of expression (“Our Mission”). Different from the other two reentry programs, the Prison University Project is more extensive in terms of its benefits package. Besides providing training to inmates, the project prepares them to contribute to civic agendas, including how to use their inalienable freedom of expression. Hall et al. (2016) write that it is essential that ex-inmates understand how to deal with community-level barriers upon release. An in-depth understanding of their civic duties, including freedom of speech, will improve reentry outcomes.
In summary, the aim of the above reentry programs is to helping prisoners have fruitful reentry upon release from incarceration facilities. The programs provide education and training opportunities that equip the inmates with skills for the job market. Some like the Prison University Project educate the inmates on their civic duties and their freedom of expression. All these goals are geared at reducing recidivism.
References
About us . Saferfoundation.org. (2020). Retrieved 17 June 2020, from www.saferfoundation.org/About-us .
BOP: UNICOR . Bop.gov. Retrieved 17 June 2020, from www.bop.gov/inmates/custody_and_care/unicor_about.jsp .
Hall, T. L., Wooten, N. R., & Lundgren, L. M. (2016). Post incarceration policies and prisoner reentry: Implications for policies and programs aimed at reducing recidivism and poverty. Journal of Poverty , 20 (1), 56-72.
Jurmo, P. (2018). What reentry services can do to strengthen the basic skills of former inmates.
Our Mission . Prisonuniversityproject.org. Retrieved 17 June 2020, from prisonuniversityproject.org/about-us/our-mission/.
Taliaferro, W., & Pham, D. (2017). Incarceration to Reentry: Education & Training Pathways in California. Reconnecting Justice in the States. Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success .
