What do we do?
"We offer support and resources to individuals recently released from incarceration or with prior convictions, while also promoting education and awareness around mental health and addiction."
About Our Vision
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A Vision of a More Just and Inclusive Society
Imagine a world where individuals with criminal records—especially those recently released from incarceration—are not met with stigma, isolation, or systemic barriers, but are instead welcomed back into society with open arms and a full spectrum of support. In this world, former felons are recognized not solely by their past, but by their potential. They have access to housing, meaningful employment, healthcare, and strong community networks. Most importantly, they are treated with dignity and humanity, because felons have feelings too.
In this society, mental health and addiction are not hidden or criminalized—they are understood, treated, and supported through public awareness, education, and accessible services. The cycles of trauma, incarceration, and relapse are broken through proactive care and prevention.
This vision is not idealistic—it is possible.
The Role of Our Nonprofit in Making This Vision a Reality
Our organization is dedicated to turning this vision into a reality by addressing the often-overlooked needs of formerly incarcerated individuals. We work to dismantle the systemic barriers that many face after release, and we provide essential resources that are critical to a successful reentry.
Here’s how we do it:
1. Direct Support Services
We provide formerly incarcerated individuals with:
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Transitional housing referrals
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Job training and placement assistance
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Access to mental health counseling and addiction recovery programs
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Basic needs support, such as clothing, hygiene kits, and transportation
By meeting people where they are, we help stabilize the critical first weeks and months after release—when the risk of recidivism is highest.
2. Mental Health & Addiction Awareness
We place a strong emphasis on the connection between incarceration, mental health, and substance use. Our outreach programs educate both the public and system-impacted individuals on the importance of mental well-being. We host workshops, partner with clinicians, and connect individuals to therapy, peer support groups, and recovery services.
3. Advocacy & Community Education
We actively work to shift public perception. Through campaigns, storytelling, and community events, we combat the stigma attached to having a criminal record. We advocate for policy changes that improve access to housing, employment, and healthcare for returning citizens.
4. Reducing Recidivism & Reentry Rates
By offering holistic support—mental, emotional, social, and practical—we reduce the likelihood that individuals will return to the system. Stable employment, access to care, and community support dramatically lower recidivism. Each person we help successfully reenter society is a step toward a more compassionate and effective justice system.
The Impact: A Safer, Stronger Society for All
When we invest in people instead of punishing them indefinitely, we build stronger families, safer communities, and a more equitable world. Our nonprofit envisions a society that values rehabilitation over retribution and opportunity over oppression. We are proud to be a part of that change—and we invite our community, donors, partners, and volunteers to join us in transforming lives and reimagining justice.
Stories of Injustice
Kalief's Journey
Kalief Browder was a 16-year-old from the Bronx, New York, who was arrested in 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack. He was charged with robbery, grand larceny, and assault. Unable to afford the $3,000 bail, he was held at Rikers Island for nearly three years without ever being convicted of a crime.
During his time at Rikers, Kalief spent about two years in solitary confinement and was subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse. Despite maintaining his innocence, his trial was repeatedly delayed, and the case was eventually dismissed in 2013 due to lack of evidence.
Kalief’s experience had a lasting impact on his mental health. He struggled with depression and PTSD after his release and tragically died by suicide in 2015 at the age of 22.
His story became a powerful symbol of the injustices within the criminal justice system, especially regarding pretrial detention, the treatment of minors, and the use of solitary confinement. It sparked national conversations and contributed to calls for reform of bail practices and the closure of Rikers Island.
Maurice's Testimonial
At just 15 years old, a young boy made a life-altering mistake—caught up in the influence of older peers, he served as a lookout during a robbery in 1994. He didn’t carry a weapon, didn’t harm anyone, and wasn’t the mastermind of the crime. But despite his minor role and his age, the justice system treated him as an adult. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Now, over 30 years later, he remains behind bars, serving a life sentence for a single mistake made as a vulnerable, impressionable teenager. His case reflects a broader pattern in the justice system—where harsh sentencing laws from the 1990s stripped young people of the chance for rehabilitation, redemption, and a second chance.
Throughout his incarceration, he has grown into adulthood, taken responsibility, pursued education, and shown remorse. Yet the system continues to define him by the worst moment of his life, rather than the decades he has spent trying to make amends and improve himself.
His story is not just about punishment—it’s about the urgent need for justice reform, especially when it comes to how we treat children in the criminal legal system. No child should be condemned to die in prison for a youthful mistake. It’s time to recognize the power of rehabilitation, the capacity for change, and the fundamental right to a second chance.
Travion's
Story
Travion Blount was just 15 years old when he participated in a robbery in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2006. Along with two older teens, Travion helped rob a group of people at a house party. No one was killed, and no serious injuries were reported. The two older teens accepted plea deals and received sentences of 10 and 13 years. But Travion, a minor at the time, chose to take his case to trial.
He was convicted and given an unprecedented sentence of 118 years without parole—essentially a death sentence in prison for a non-lethal crime committed as a child.
The case sparked public outrage and drew national attention as an example of extreme sentencing disparities and the punitive treatment of Black youth in the justice system. Critics pointed out how the sentence far exceeded even many adult sentences for more serious crimes.
After years of advocacy, media attention, and support from justice reform advocates, then-Governor Terry McAuliffe granted Travion clemency in 2016, and he was released after serving nearly a decade behind bars.
Travion’s story is a powerful example of how sentencing laws can fail to account for youth, growth, and the potential for change—and it reinforces why second chances are essential in a truly fair justice system.
