RISE Reentry Services
Reentry is often filled with chaos, disappointment, frustration, unmet expectations, and loneliness. Imagine expecting to see your children for the first time in years, only to find that your request to travel and see them has been denied.
Imagine the hope for a reentry housing that fits into your budget, only to find you have been denied because of your background check.[2]
Imagine the excitement of spending the holidays with friends and family, only to find out they believe you are the person you were ten years ago.
RISE graduates and their family members face these challenges daily, and RISE Reentry has the immense privilege of walking with them through these intense moments.
In 2023, RISE welcomed home over 72 in‑prison education graduates and provided ongoing supportive services for 155 individuals through case management, peer support, financial assistance, and referrals. We provided over $33,000 for rental assistance, utility assistance, transportation, and other basic needs. We’ve provided bus passes, prepaid cell phones, and “Welcome Home Bags” filled with essential hygiene supplies.[1]
However, the year’s most consistently utilized service was “Direction and Encouragement.” Emotional support and relationship building are at the core of our work at RISE, and the reentry team is no different.
That trust built in relationships is vital when working with our graduates who are building—or rebuilding—relationships with their loved ones. Our relationships give us the ability to provide feedback on how often it is appropriate to reach out to a child who is holding resentment after a lengthy incarceration. The mutual trust we have with RISE graduates results in asking for feedback on how they handled a challenging conversation with their siblings who are using substances. Our rapport with our people allows us to get close and personal to the challenging moments and provide direction and encouragement.
So, while reentry holds many challenges, it also holds the bountiful joy that comes with genuine relationships. Imagine the Parole Board stating they are sending someone home because of the testimony of a RISE Community Navigator. Imagine a Community Navigator supporting another RISE graduate they spent significant time incarcerated with through their own reentry journey. Imagine providing a ride to someone about to reunite with their children for the first time in over half a decade. Our relationships with our graduates lead to other meaningful support in their lives and result in broken generational cycles of incarceration.
Reentry Services: An Overview
RISE’s reentry team comes alongside people as they stabilize their lives and begin self‑actualizing from a sustainable foundation. Community Navigators assist their caseload with reentry planning pre‑release, basic needs support, providing community referrals like mental health providers, education specialists, substance use support, securing employment, advocacy, and more.
Services provided to our participants are grounded in our desire for people to maintain what they have worked so hard for while understanding that maintenance support for each person will look different. Our team assists in budgeting, goal setting, recovery support, and cultivating the “glue” that holds the many pieces of our people’s lives together. Most importantly, though, our team develops relationships with their respective caseloads that serve as a reminder that reentry—and life—do not have to be navigated alone.[3]
