Call To Action
A Call to Action: Reducing Recidivism through Collaboration
Reentry Essentials Endeavors to Create Opportunities for a More Just and Socially Responsible Society.
Citizens across the United States are concerned because 600,000 incarcerated individuals are returning to society each year. The prison reentry crisis is especially concerning for the disadvantaged communities to which most returning citizens return. But the news is even worse for those men and women leaving prison.
Most individuals are unprepared to leave prison and are unrealistic about their chances to "make it" in society. Generally, returning citizens do not have the education, skills, or positive social supports necessary to assist them in returning to society. As a result, many of them commit new crimes in the few weeks or months after their release.
Most states don't have enough money to "fix the problem." We need a new series of public-private partnerships that will enlist thousands of new volunteers to assist correctional professionals in the delivery of much needed educational and vocational programs, not only in prisons, but in the communities to which individuals will be returning. Reentry Essentials is the perfect example of such an effort and works to reduce recidivism and the substantial human and social costs resulting from it.
The realities of recidivism open a new window of opportunity for society to do something about the mass release of prisoners back into our communities. Shrinking budgets are making it necessary to consider new approaches that emphasize cooperation between public-private entities in order to help formerly incarcerated individuals remain crime-free after leaving a term of imprisonment. Innovative approaches like those developed and supported through Reentry Essentials will only be successful if new volunteers and groups are encouraged to partner with government agencies in confronting our nations reentry crisis.
Join us as we work with our partners to identify high quality resources to aid individuals, families, and communities in their reintegration process. Our extensive Resource Directory is an evolving project that contains thousands of resources to assist those in need.