Family ReEntry’s 2016-17 Annual Appeal: We Need Your Help!

Family ReEntry’s 2016-17 Annual Appeal

The Problem Even as the Connecticut government is closing prisons and reducing the prison population to the lowest level since the 1970s – a good thing – the fiscal crisis has caused it to terminate the funding for and close EVERY community-based nonresidential prisoner reentry behavioral health program in the state. (Family ReEntry’s residential and intervention programs were unaffected.) This means thousands of people, many or most of them people of color, will be released from jails and prisons this year without access to mental health services, substance abuse counseling, life skills training, family therapy, housing opportunities, education, or even minimum wage jobs. Without this critical support, research shows that most will likely recidivate and will return to prison in record numbers…but not before they re-engage in the very behavior for which they were incarcerated in the first place. A very bad thing – for everyone.

“With the help of Family Reentry, I was able to finally have my first shot at honest employment. The re-entry team (which has become my own family) gave me the push I needed to go to college and work hard to be where I want to be in life. Family ReEntry is filled with people that are willing to help, support, encourage and motivate anyone who needs them.” —Tavon Williams  (Warehouse Worker, CDI & full time student at HCC — released March 2016)

The Solution With fewer government dollars to support our mission, Family ReEntry is getting creative. We are seeking out and finding innovative solutions for these critical problems. Our new First Chance Society initiative is designed to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of incarceration by giving at-risk youth and families a first chance at the kind of opportunities that they may have been denied because of poverty, race and/or zip code. And, giving returning citizens the first chance they may have never had before their incarceration. We are growing our award-winning programs – Family ReEntry is opening four new intervention programs with even more new programs on the horizon. And we are up at the Capitol intensely advocating for criminal justice reform and fairness for all.

“I was officially hired in October full-time as a driver for the lumber yard. I am proud to say I am currently employed today because of the opportunity Family ReEntry afforded me.” —Marcellus Ruffin  (Driver, Northeast Building Supplies — released June 2014)

Family ReEntry Needs Your Help. At this time, when we and the people we serve need your help more than ever, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to Family ReEntry’s 2016-17 Annual Appeal.  Mail your donations to:  Family ReEntry, Inc., 75 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or click here to donate online. Thank you in advance for your donation. I hope to meet you soon and thank you personally. Gratefully, Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Executive Director     Family ReEntry’s mission is to develop, implement, and share sustainable, cost-effective solutions for the unprecedented numbers of people involved in the criminal justice system, which empower individuals, strengthen families, and build communities. For more info please visit our website at familyreentry.org and you can follow us onFacebook and Twitter. All proceeds go to supporting these valuable programs. DONATE Advocacy | Programs | Opportunities | Contact Family ReEntry, Inc.  |  jeffgrant@familyreentry.org  |   501(c)3 Organization  |  203-290-0855

Family ReEntry Announces Three New Board members - Carlah Esdaile Bragg, David Light and Christian Morris

Family ReEntry Announces 

New Board Members

 

Bragg, Light and Morris Elected to Board

Bridgeport, CT – (May 22, 2017) – Family ReEntry, a nonprofit leader that assists families affected by the criminal justice system, today announced the appointment of three key new board members, who will help guide the organization on its program expansion and advocacy efforts.

Carlah Esdaile Bragg, David Light and Christian Morris have accepted nomination to serve on the Family ReEntry board of directors. The commitment enlists the skills, knowledge and advisory of all activities for the organization to increase its services that restore dignity and renew families that have been impacted by incarceration and the justice system.

Jeff Grant, Executive Director of Family ReEntry, said, “Carlah, David and Christian bring exceptional experience, expertise and relationships to our board. They each have a special, different perspective that is ideal for guiding the future of Family ReEntry.”

Bragg is a lifelong resident of New Haven, CT with an

Carlah Esdaile Bragg

understanding of local and statewide conditions, community needs and strategies. She is currently the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Cornell Scott – Hill Health Center, Connecticut’s oldest and one of the largest community health centers in the state, providing medical, behavioral health and dental services to more than 30,000 residents. She is an advocate, holding various positions with the NAACP. Bragg served on the City of New Haven Fresh Start planning team and serves on the City of New Haven Reentry Advisory Committee, and the Reentry Roundtable Faith Based Committee.

Light is a biotech scientist and entrepreneur from Branford,

David Light

CT. A graduate of Yale University, David studied molecular, cellular and developmental biology. At Ion Torrent, David invented a particle that enabled the commercial viability of DNA semiconductor sequencing and helped lead to the acquisition of Ion Torrent by Life Technologies. At Life Technologies, David was Head of Chemistry R&D, and when Life Tech was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Light transitioned to Director of Product Management in order to directly handle the commercialization of the technologies that he helped develop. For the past six years, David has guest lectured at Yale where he teaches undergraduates about DNA sequencing. Light is also a founding board member of the ShuLounge of New Haven. a novel congregation catering to a vibrant and diverse community.

 

“I’m honored to be a member of the board of directors at Family ReEntry and support its vital and impactful work, which has special meaning to me and my family, who have directly felt the effects and difficulties resulting from incarceration,” Light explained.

Morris, who first consulted with Family ReEntry on strategic

Christian Morris

business planning, now brings added value to the organization with his background in technology and software business application solutions.  Morris is co-founder of SmartPath Labs, a technology and business advisory firm focused on new market adoption and strategic partnerships for emerging technology companies. As the former Executive Vice President of CometaWorks, Morris delivered technology solutions across financial services, healthcare, educational institutions, and entertainment sectors. Previously, Morris served on the board of Sound Affects, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing how the war on cancer is fought and financed with a mission to increase the implementation of promising new treatments by empowering individuals to directly support bio-entrepreneur’s research. Morris lives in Westport, CT.

With the assistance of the three newest members, the board of Family ReEntry seeks to advise the organization in supporting, not just the individuals who are reentering society after incarceration, but the families and friends of those individuals as they transition. Family ReEntry provides vital services to help individuals and families in the areas of prevention, intervention, diversion, in-prison and reentry.

Currently, there are over 2.3 million people incarcerated in the United States and over 70 million with criminal records. “It is vital that we reach these individuals at critical junctures in their lives and provide them with enough support so that they can have every opportunity to achieve, learn and grow as citizens who are not forced to return to the kind of activity that caused them to be incarcerated in the first place,” said Grant, a man who knows very well of the difficulties that formerly incarcerated individuals can face. He served almost 14 months in Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed in 2001 when he was a lawyer. Grant said. “As the first person in the country formerly incarcerated for a white-collar crime to be appointed as Executive Director of a major criminal justice nonprofit, I try to be a role model that there is hope after prison.”

“The situation can seem overwhelming to those most affected, but there is help,” Grant explained. “Men and woman and their families who come through Family ReEntry are succeeding in making positive contributions and improving their lives. While national averages show a large percentage of this population returning to prison, we are seeing that Family ReEntry’s work is significantly lowering that percentage.”

About Family ReEntry:
Family ReEntry is a 501c3 nonprofit, which was founded in 1984 as a reentry support group for men at the Isaiah House in Bridgeport. It has since grown to include policy advocacy, and intervention, prevention, in-prison, reentry, fatherhood and youth & family programs. Over the past 33 years, effective advocacy efforts and community-based programs developed by Family ReEntry have significantly reduced the likelihood that clients will re-offend, be re-arrested, or be re-incarcerated. Its programs provide a spectrum of services designed to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. Family ReEntry addresses the specific needs of each client and their families through individualized case management and support services. It works to create a positive social network for each client, helping make their transition from prison back into the community a successful, self-sufficient one, while strengthening their families and the community. Family ReEntry operates its programs in strategic locations that encompass eight municipal regions and judicial geographic areas, two parole districts and five prisons. Approximately, sixty-percent of those served by Family ReEntry are from greater Bridgeport – Connecticut’s largest city. The organization has offices in Bridgeport, Norwalk and New Haven, CT. Programs are also held in Stamford, Waterbury, Derby, New London and Norwich, CT. More information is available at www.familyreentry.org and on its social media including, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

Envisioning a First Chance Society, by Jeff Grant, JD, M Div & Sarah Diamond, PhD: Supporting a Second Chance Society with First Chance Opportunities

Envisioning a First Chance Society

by Jeff Grant, JD, M Div

& Sarah Diamond, PhD

"Supporting a Second Chance Society 

with First Chance Opportunities"

Envisioning a First Chance Society

 

Last fall, the Directors of Family ReEntry viewed a TED Talk by Dan Pallotta titled, "The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong."  In his talk, Pallotta discussed social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and called upon the nonprofit community to ask ourselves the question, How Do We Change the World?

How Do We Change the World?  It was, and is, a daunting challenge.

If we believe in a vision imagined by Buckminister Fuller as hopeful as a “world that works for everyone,” we must put important questions on the table, like: What is our great vision of criminal justice reform here in Connecticut and across the country? Where are we now? How did we get here? What do we want to achieve? How do we achieve it? What partners do we need in the conversation?

We set out to tackle this head-on.  Together with colleagues and some of the best and most innovative consultants in the country (notably, our friend and my co-author Sarah Diamond, PhD), we envisioned a changed world where we solve the “criminal justice problem” by devoting our attention and resources to healing families and communities. Our goal is to provide first chance opportunities to at-risk people so that their entry into the criminal justice system is not likely or inevitable. Or, if they are already in the system, to provide them with the first chance they never received. 

That is, we intend to change the world by serving as conveners of stakeholders in this important conversation, and disruptors of the broken criminal justice status quo.

A First Chance Society: Supporting a Second Chance Society with First Chance Opportunities

Nobody knows the failures of our criminal justice system better than the individuals and families impacted by incarceration and the community-based organizations which serve them.  Without the voices of people who have been most impacted by the system, and an in-depth understanding and valuing of their humanity and life experiences, our reform efforts are likely to continue to fall short.  Drawing upon our many years of providing critical services in mental health, domestic violence prevention and reentry for thousands of individuals and families each year, Family ReEntry introduces the concept of a First Chance Society to contribute to the dialogue in Connecticut and the country about reimagining our criminal justice system and towards building a shared vision for social change. 

We whole-heartedly agree with and support Governor Malloy’s Second Chance Society goals of seeking long-term solutions to criminal justice reform that “invest in permanent improvement and reformation instead of permanent punishment.” However, we believe that this vision must be taken a step further to address the root causes of mass incarceration, especially with regards to the association between poverty, zip code, race/ethnicity, health disparities and who ends up behind bars. We wish to expand our vision for criminal justice reform by advocating for a First Chance Society, which provides genuine opportunities for those at risk of falling through the cracks and who are being left behind in our post-industrial, globalizing economy.

A First Chance Society is a society in which fewer people end up involved in a punitive criminal justice system in the first place.  We are inspired by Pope Francis’ call to leaders to reach out to those who’ve been left out from the global economy and to, “Give them a voice, listen to their stories, learn from their experiences, understand their needs.” 

What would a society look like in which every child and adult, no matter their family of origin, socio-economic background, or zip code had a chance to succeed and was provided the quality education, skills, resources and opportunities they needed to live a successful and fulfilling life?  Can we transform our criminal justice system to be more aligned with first chances, or must the system itself be dismantled? What will this new eco-system for a First Chance Society look like?

Below are five intentionally thought-provoking statements to spur further community dialogue toward a society that not only embraces Second Chances, but also looks toward providing First Chance opportunities for the people of Connecticut and our nation as a whole. 

Our Prisons have become Warehouses for the Poor

A 2015 report by the Prison Policy Initiative confirms the link between poverty and incarceration [1] in determining   that, “in 2014 dollars, incarcerated people had a median annual income of $19,185 prior to their incarceration, which is 41% less than non-incarcerated people of similar ages.”  In other words, the people who are in prison are largely concentrated at the lowest end of the U.S. income distribution.  As the authors of this study note, policy reforms at the federal, state and local level can go a long way to removing barriers for people returning home from prison to go back to school, become gainfully employed, reunite with their families etc.  “Reversing the decades-old policies that make it more difficult for people with criminal records to succeed may require political courage, but the options are plentiful and often straightforward.”  However, these reforms are insufficient to address the conditions that lead to imprisonment for crime in the first place.  “Our single-minded focus on imprisonment, has blinded us to the needs of entire communities.” As the authors conclude,

Permanently ending the era of mass incarceration will require reversing the decades of neglect that denied our most vulnerable communities access to good jobs, reliable transportation, safe housing, and good schools. Making these long-delayed investments in the basic building blocks of strong and stable communities will ensure that, once we turn the corner on mass incarceration, we never turn back.[2]

Despite a System that is Broken, we must Find

Ways for People to become Whole

Quoting Dianne Jones, Director of Reentry for the City of Hartford, “If the system itself is broken, how can we expect people to become whole again?” Much like critiques of our health care system, our criminal justice system is heavily fragmented and siloed, resulting in poor continuity of care for those whom we serve and for their families.  Individuals returning from prison tend to have complex, multi-dimensional needs. Their families too typically suffer collateral consequences from both the criminal behavior and challenges encountered in navigating and interfacing with the system itself.  When agencies operate in silos to try to serve people returning from prison, the system becomes inefficient and costly, and people are less likely to succeed.  Without their basic needs met and proper supports, many individuals end up falling back into old patterns that landed them in the system in the first place.

At Family Reentry, we understand that our ability to serve our clients and their families is directly proportional to the degree to which the various other services they depend on (e.g. housing, job training, employment, legal aid, etc.) are well-integrated and implemented as part of a comprehensive and timely reentry plan.  Thus, we invite our community partners and stakeholders in the criminal justice system to join us in creating a better, more interdependent eco-system for individuals returning from prison (and their families), with the shared goal of ensuring that they and their families have all that they need to be successful. 

Reentry Begins at the Time of a Person’s Arrest

A simple way to consider this statement is that the fewer people we arrest and detain or incarcerate as a society, the fewer people for whom we will then later need to provide reentry services.  So one way to reduce mass incarceration is to explore whether or not our legal sanctions are proportional to the harm done by the crime and are necessary to keep others safe.   Focusing on the time of arrest also calls to mind efforts to address unconscious bias and other factors contributing to police making false arrests.  With years of emphasis on making sure we provide culturally and linguistically competent services to everyone in our catchment area and in supporting efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in our criminal justice system, Family ReEntry encourages dialogue around what each of us can do to make sure that our justice system is doling out justice equitably.

Another dimension to this statement has to do with the question of when a person’s process of rehabilitation begins?  In a hospital, for example, discharge planning starts on the day of a person's admission. 

For some this process could begin when they first start to feel guilt or regret for their crime.  Feeling the weight of the law at the time of arrest may also spur people to start to rethink their past actions and consider its consequences.  For those involved in patterns of criminal behavior, the process of rehabilitation involves learning new ways of thinking and skills to break these patterns.  Family ReEntry has a strong track record of providing effective preventive services via youth mentoring and domestic violence prevention for individuals in diversion or court-mandated programs.  We invite dialogue regarding creative ways we as a community can work to elevate the consciousness of a person such that they are less likely to break the law, and to cause harm to others.  And we support efforts to explore the role of restorative justice in our criminal justice system or other methods of addressing crime used in other countries that support rehabilitation over punishment.

Hurt People, Hurt People

Many people who commit violent crimes or who have substance abuse disorders have experienced some sort of family violence, addiction and trauma in their own lives, often as children.  The criminal justice system itself adds another layer of trauma, as people who have been incarcerated know all too well.  Then the stigma and barriers to rebuilding their lives, such as accumulated child support payments and court fines, can compound people’s suffering even after they have served their time.  Thus, part of the solution to reducing crime must rest with equipping people with the tools and support they need to heal from traumatic experiences and also making sure our system of justice and society becomes more humane. 

From years of providing mental health services for people with high rates of trauma, Family ReEntry knows that healing the trauma of a person who has been incarcerated and involving his or/her family members in the process is not just something that can be accomplished by prescribing a pill or offering only a brief intervention, though these may help some.  Healing can take many years and most people need ongoing social support in order to recover from cumulative traumas and learn healthy coping mechanisms required to lead healthy and productive lives.  At Family ReEntry we are interested in exploring ways that we as a society can better support the process of healing that must take place in individuals and families, especially in our neighborhoods with the highest rates of crime.  How can we as a society invest in preventing people from being hurt, from healing people who are hurt, and making our systems more trauma-informed?  What diverse healing practices and safe spaces already exist in our communities and what funds can be catalyzed to grow them?

Let us Create a First Chance Society Movement

We invite everyone to join us in building a movement in support of a second chance society, with first chance opportunities.   Please let your voices be heard by sharing with us your thoughts on how best to give everyone in society first chances so as to make our communities safer, healthier, and more peaceful:  firstchancesociety@familyreentry.org.

Gratefully,

Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Executive Director, Family ReEntry, Inc.

jeffgrant@familyreentry.org

Sarah Diamond, PhD, Founder, Diamond Research Consulting, LLC

sdiamond193@gmail.com

Envisioning a First Chance Society

---

[1] Rabuy, B. and Kopf, D. (2015, July 9) “Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned” Retrieved from Rabhttps://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/income.html.

[2] Rabuy, B. and Kopf, D. (2015, July 9) “Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned” Retrieved from Rabhttps://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/income.html.

A First Chance for Children to Thrive in a Healthy Home: Disrupting the Cycle of Violence, By Rebecca Martorella - Guest Blogger

Prisonist.org: Faith & Dignity 
for the Days Ahead
Blogs, Guest Blogs & News 
Over a Quarter-Million Views and Growing!

A First Chance for Children 

to Thrive in a Healthy Home:

Disrupting the Cycle of Violence

By Rebecca Martorella 

- Guest Blogger  

Envisioning a First Chance Society

               

 At Family ReEntry we are gathering and publishing  experiences and stories of people whose families and communities could be immeasurably changed with access to

first chance opportunities.  Please consider participating 

by submitting a blog post or essay

responding to the question, 

"What would a First Chance Society mean for you?"  

Please send your entry to Rebecca at her email address below. Thank you. - Jeff

_____________

         

We meet the mothers in their homes. Often caring for multiple children with little support, fathers absent or recently removed from the household due to restraining orders placed after a domestic violence incident.  We meet the fathers, often temporarily homeless, missing their families, confused about how their actions got them arrested or removed because they were the same actions they had seen in families their whole lives.

We hear their stories, including traumatic childhoods and a lack of parenting, which left them with no model of healthy relationships to pass on to their own children.  How can a parent know how to parent lovingly when they have been parented with domination and control?  How can a partner know how to communicate lovingly and resolve disagreements when they have only seen screaming and force?

We teach them that screaming, and fighting, and physical altercations are not “just how relationships are.” We teach them that domestic violence is not just physical, that emotional and financial control are forms of domestic abuse as well, invisible but even more harmful. We teach them how the abusive environment affects their children and perpetuates a cycle of unhealthy relationship choices and violence.  We teach them how to identify and communicate their feelings without risking ridicule and rejection, and we teach them how to avoid responding with ridicule and rejection themselves.

We connect them to services they may not have been able to access themselves. The basics: Housing, food, clothing. Then we help them learn to take back power over their own lives. Education, job training, daycare, financial support. We help them see not only that there are other choices, but that those choices are accessible to them.

We help them recognize the trauma in their past that has led to the crises in their present. We help them identify their triggers and learn new coping skills so that they can end the legacy of this trauma in their future, with their children.

Family ReEntry and IPV-FAIR. Helping give 

parents a second chance to give 

their children the best first chance.

Rebecca Martorella, MA, LMFT is the Program Manager for the new IPV-FAIR program at Family ReEntry, in which clinicians and case workers take a team approach to helping families referred by the Department of Children & Families to understand the impact of domestic violence and learn healthy relationship, coping, and co-parenting skills to create a healthier home for their children. Rebecca received her BS in Business Administration from Georgetown University and worked as an advertising executive for over a decade before earning her MA in Marriage & Family Therapy from Fairfield University in 2005. She has worked as a therapist with individuals, couples, and families in private practice and agency settings, including facilitating domestic violence education groups for Family ReEntry for 8+ years. Outside of Family ReEntry, she writes a column on family issues for the Darien Times and volunteers as the Communications Director for the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust, chartering organization for the Darien Boy Scout program. Rebecca can be reached at rebeccamartorella@familyreentry.org.