The 9th RISE prison program cohort at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women has officially graduated! These women presented innovative business ideas to volunteers and family members, gaining not only entrepreneurial skills but also confidence, hope, and a renewed sense of connection. At RISE, our prison program empowers participants to rebuild their futures and strengthen community ties.

On April 16th, 2025 18 participants confidently pitched their business ideas to 37 community volunteers (!!!) and crossed the graduation stage with purpose. RISE has now celebrated 836 In-Prison Program graduates and counting!

On March 28th, 21 RISE participants pitched their business ideas to 21 community volunteers, celebrated their growth with over 30 loved ones, and graduated with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

Leadership takes many forms—whether it’s driving change within a Fortune 500 company or transforming lives through second chances.

Christ Community Church hosted RISE CEO and founder of RISE, Jeremy Bouman; Community Navigator, Aaron Pettes; and Volunteer Relations Manager, Chantal Wentz on Sunday, July 28th for their Ordinary People, Extraordinary God series.

RISE is a re-entry program with a mission to help people both inside and outside prison get back on their feet.

"We're helping them with housing, employment, healthy relationships, building a healthy peer community of others who are navigating carceral systems and coming home," said Jeremy Bouman, CEO of RISE.

On June 11th, 2024 the 9th RISE Cohort at the Omaha Correctional Center pitched their business ideas and graduated!

RISE provides "Welcome Home" bags to all RISE graduates who return home. Valued at over $100, each bag includes personal care items like body wash, shampoo, laundry detergent and towels. We all know how expensive a trip for essentials like this can be - lifting this one financial burden means a lot to us and the people we serve.

RISE not only opened a reentry office in Lincoln last month but also moved from the second floor of the Blackstone Plaza to the fifth floor. September was…wild, chaotic, thrilling, sweaty, hard, beautiful, and joyful.

In February, 129 people volunteered their time by reviewing the cover letters, resumes, and business ideations of our 8th cohort at the Omaha Correctional Center. We are SO excited to share that they graduated last week!

These shared dinners would not be possible without the food! So a special thank you to all the vendors who make these dinners possible. The food helps create a welcoming and enticing offer for families and participants to come back every week.

Research has shown that staying connected with family while incarcerated is wildly beneficial. It improves health, behavior, and can reduce the likelihood individuals will return to prison after being released.

Reentry is crisis. It's not uncommon to have a roof over your head one day and the threat of it being gone the next. Access to housing can help improve public safety, as research has shown it is correlated with decreases in crime and recidivism.

In 2022 we held two RISE Business Academy (RBA) cohorts and one graduation with seven graduates. 11 of our 19 program graduates currently have their businesses in operation.

Dr. TJ Dickson became the Director of the RBA in July 2022. She facilitated Cohort 5 and graduated the largest cohort thus far.

The past two weeks at the legislature have been a whirlwind and it’s set to continue. With 812 legislative bills and 31 legislative resolutions/constitutional amendments introduced, the unicameral has its work cutout.

The Voting Rights Restoration Coalition is composed of over 30 statewide and local organizations. Our mission is to remove barriers to civic participation for those impacted by the criminal justice system. We want everyone to be able to access their right to vote, serve on a jury, and run for office.

At RISE, data is more than a number. Data helps tell the story of our participants. Data allows us to see trends and gaps. Data supports our decisions.

Important things to know on Election Day.

RISE is proud to announce being awarded a $30,000 Impact Grant through FNBO's First National Bank Fund c/o the Nebraska Community Foundation. This grant will go towards supporting the RISE Employment Program.

Knowing your voting rights while currently detained in jail can be confusing. But know this: if you or your loved one is currently detained in a Nebraska jail, you may still be eligible to vote!