Category: Blog
Changes in Employment – What This Means for the Reentrant in 2021
Under normal circumstances, returning citizens struggle to find employment, and employment opportunities have been even more scarce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses have had to temporarily or permanently close, and for those that have remained open. social-distancing safety measures have drastically affected the job market and environment. As a result, many companies and [...]
What to Do When Your Job Application Requires a Background Check
Are you trying to find employment for a job that requires a background check? With a criminal background, it’s natural to feel some anxiety. Before walking away from an opportunity, take the time to understand what employers are looking for and what information is being generated when they pull a background check. Below you will [...]
Navigating Reentry Clean and Sober
Making the shift from incarceration to the community can pose many challenges. You may find yourself overwhelmed or stressed with new responsibilities, especially if you have a history of substance abuse. Research suggests that drug and alcohol relapse is one of the leading causes of recidivism. Luckily, many free resources exist to manage your sobriety [...]
Mentorship Saved My Life
My name is Amlak, and until recently, I lived through what seemed like an endless amount of poverty, violence, and prison. Although I am a product of these factors, I have come to realize that I don’t have to let them define me. Life has shown me that many people have lived through similar hardships [...]
A Rough Start
After serving her sentence, Tanya returned home to an unstable living environment. While incarcerated, her apartment was broken into, and most of her belongings were stolen or damaged. Tanya was left with little to nothing and felt like a stranger in her own home. Very quickly, Tanya realized that if she was going to have [...]
Changing Perspectives
George had been a hustler his whole life until the law finally caught up with him. He knew that something needed to shift, and when he finally became willing to change, he had a new perspective on life. George knew the reentry program he was referred to was not going to be easy, but he [...]
Stopping the Cycle
Kenneth grew up in the juvenile system living in detention centers for seven years. The cycle continued into adulthood after he was charged with a criminal offense. He was released on bail to reentry programming where he learned about substance abuse and was able to accept his drug addiction. Now 19, Kenneth has interrupted the [...]
Venturing Off Track
Al-Tariq and his siblings grew up in a single parent home. Raised by his mother and maternal grandmother, he excelled in school and avoided getting into trouble with the law despite his tough childhood. Al-Tariq received a full scholarship to a preparatory high school, but his curiosity led him to drug experimentation and hanging out [...]
The Wrong Crowd
Darris was the youngest of 10 children and lived with both parents until they divorced when he was 7 years old. As a teenager he started hanging out with the wrong crowd, dropping out of high school by the age of 16. Darris developed a drug and alcohol dependency which led to criminal activity and [...]
A Longtime Addict
Joshua was an active addict involved with drugs for as long as he can remember. He went to prison at 26 years old and did fourteen months on the inside. While in prison he made the decision to start a new life. He soon realized that everything in his life would have to change and [...]
