April is recognized by the U.S. Congress and the federal government as Second Chance Month, an opportunity to support the 650,000 men and women released from state and federal prisons every year who are working to successfully return to their communities.
A few statistics demonstrate the vital importance of supporting second chances in our society. Today, more than 70 million Americans – or 1 in every 3 adults – have a criminal record. It’s essential to ensure this significant population of Americans gets a fair shot at employment, housing, health care, and other essentials.
The most recent long-term studies show that more than 60 percent of those released from prison are arrested again within three years, and over 80 percent are re-arrested within 10 years. This terrible cycle of recidivism is bad not only for these individuals and their families, but also for the safety and welfare of our communities.
Nowhere is this fight more imperative than inside the U.S. criminal justice system, particularly in our correctional facilities. Here, with the proper resources, counseling, educational, and vocational opportunities, lives can change for the better.
These initiatives are best modeled by those on the front lines: the expert counselors, social workers, educators, staff, and corrections officers working in correctional facilities every day.
The Day 1 Alliance (D1A) is a trade association representing longtime contractors who have been helping address challenges in our criminal justice system for decades. Our member companies – CoreCivic, The GEO Group, Management & Training Corporation (MTC), and LaSalle Corrections – are real innovators in the field of evidence-based rehabilitation and re-entry programming for those in their care. Their efforts focus on empowering individuals with the skills and tools they need for a second chance in society.
On any given day, tens of thousands of D1A member company professionals lead enhanced in-custody rehabilitation programming and post-release support services. This results in millions of hours of rehabilitation, substance abuse, and other re-entry programming, as well as tens of thousands of college, high school equivalency, and vocational training certifications earned every year.
Innovative programs from D1A members include CoreCivic’s partnership with Pivot Technology School, offering a 20-week, five-month virtual course to learn about analytics, coding, programming, and other skills that employers are looking for in the tech industry.
Comprehensive, wrap-around planning and care throughout an individual’s incarceration is vital as well. That’s the impetus behind The GEO Group’s innovative Continuum of Care program, which takes a holistic approach to re-entry services to drive down recidivism. It’s also the basis of MTC’s Social Impact programs, which delivered more than 7.1 million hours of effective programming and structured activities, awarding more than 8,000 vocational, educational, substance abuse, and life skills certificates in 2023.
Further, these initiatives must continue to support individuals as they begin to re-enter society, with D1A members dedicating millions of dollars to post-release support, assisting them with continued counseling as well as the everyday essentials such as housing, food, employment assistance, and more.
These remarkable efforts are only possible through the devoted work of thousands of our member company professionals. To those on the front lines of this effort every day, we say “thank you!”
As we reflect on Second Chance Month, we continue to set new, more ambitious goals to ensure those in our care can come away better than they were before.
Alexandra Wilkes is national spokesperson for the Day 1 Alliance, the trade association representing private sector contractors helping address corrections and detention challenges in the United States.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
