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Michigan Helps Inmates Re-enter Society with Ban the Box Movement

On September 7, Michigan announced it would stop requiring applicants for most occupational and construction code licenses to check a box on the application form disclosing whether they have ever been convicted of a felony. Governor Rick Snyder (R) announced the policy change by the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Snyder also

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At-risk youth and "returning citizens" supported by MADE

A hand-up — not a handout. That’s the philosophy behind Leon EL-Alamin’s M.A.D.E. Institute. Launched in 2015, the nonprofit organization provides an alternative to prison, with several programs offering disenfranchised people the skills they need to help them succeed. M.A.D.E. stands for money, attitude, direction, and education – tools prisoners need upon release from their

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Prison program cooks up opportunity for inmates

America likes to play with its food. Chopped, Food Network Star, Cutthroat Kitchen – there is no shortage of entertainment on television when it comes to mixing ingredients and drama together. For the inmates of Folsom Women’s Facility, however, food has an entirely different meaning. It’s not about fun, drama, or competition. It’s about opportunities,

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Mississippi Prisons Scrap RID For Cognitive Therapy Program

When the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) relied on a pre-release program that was steeped in military-style practices, it failed inmates miserably. “(We found that) people who go through (that program) actually do worse than people that didn’t go through, so we realized that while there were a lot of individuals who had success—they were

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Roundtable Ponders Ways to Improve Ex-Inmates’ Re-entry

Both while a candidate and after taking office, President Donald Trump has frequently boasted he’ll get tough on criminals and ensure the justice system promotes public safety. On Sept. 13, he was out of Washington, inspecting hurricane damage in Florida. But back at the White House, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and close advisor, convened a

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Bureau of Prisons Seeks Software to Predict Post-Release Outcomes

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) hopes to find unrecognized patterns of adaptation and recidivism — which the agency terms “inmate reintegration into the community — by asking software developers to provide information about commercially available software capable of aggregating the various types of data the agency already collects. A request published by the agency

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From Inmate to Inspiration: Man Helps Prisoners and Youth Turn Lives Around

By Christopher Zoukis John Valverde is living proof that second chances are possible, and that the criminal justice system needs to be about more than just punishment — it should focus on rehabilitation and facilitating successful re-entry for the legions of ex-offenders who will eventually rejoin their communities. Valverde this year becomes CEO of YouthBuild

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From Ex-Prisoner to Professor and Prison Reform Advocate

Aaron Kinzel faced obstacles after being released from a 10-year prison stint, and now teaches criminology and is an active prison reform advocate. It’s easy to think only of the crimes committed when words like “offender,” “incarceration,” or “prisoner” come up. But we should remember that many offenders in our system of incarceration will be

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Prison Entrepreneurship Project Reforming Lives

By Christopher Zoukis The Prison Entrepreneurship Project has helped transform more than 1,300 convicted felons into business graduates that have transitioned successfully back into society. The project focuses on male prisoners, and is a comprehensive, holistic program aimed at reducing recidivism, giving second chances to ex-offenders, and helping to ensure successful reintegration into their communities.

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Florida Community Initiative Supports Female Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners

A forward-thinking group in Florida is helping women both in and outside of prison to empower themselves and help better their lives and families after recognizing that many of their needs were not being met in the community. The Red Tent Women’s Initiative was inspired by Anita Diamant’s novel The Red Tent, which follows the

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