SOME SWEET STATS:
UNITE INDY'S Reentry Transportation Program Report!
Since the beginning of UNITE INDY’s Marion County Reentry Transportation Program, we have filled 1,248 seats on 4,320 trips, traveling a total of 216,000 miles to transport reentrants to and from work on multiple shifts. Over 150 have received job opportunities, with 48 reentrants earning promotions to skill level positions.
Of the 150 people who were offered jobs, 60 men and women who were previously unemployed or underemployed, have found a career path toward upward mobility. They are able to feed, clothe, and provide housing for their families and return to a leadership position in the home by proving stability and worth. This means that 60 families residing in Marion County now have hope that their chief providers might avoid the curse of re-incarceration and potentially break the cycle of multi-generational poverty.
To the taxpayer, it means savings estimated at $1.4 million annually for the re-incarceration of those who live without income or the stability of work. Instead, at an average starting wage of $38,000 per year, this effort produced an additional $2.28 million in collective wages to be incorporated into our local economy and added to Marion County’s tax base.
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GOOD JOBS & GOOD PAY:
Community Corrections Collaborate with 2nd Chance Indy
Jacqueline Coleman, Community Systems Coordinator for Marion County Community Corrections, met with UI’s Jim Cotterill and Scott Whiting this week to find best practices in connecting their clients to job opportunities for their clients living in work release programs, under home detention, or those with ankle monitors. The next step is to quantify the outcomes of those who attend 2nd Chance Indy Job Fairs. We’ll be working with our Employer Partners to get statistical information on numbers of hires, how long these hires are employed, and more.
In a nutshell, Community Corrections oversees and monitors the folks who, rather than spending more time in prison, are given the opportunity to work and live under controlled conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are currently clients of Community Corrections in Marion County. Our thanks to Jacqueline for her efforts!
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INDY REENTRY NAVIGATOR:
Contacts & Support For Reentrants At Their Fingertips!
A new mobile website that functions like an app will soon assist Indy reentrants with the information they need to succeed. Those mentored in our Jobs For Life classes or others who request a mentor will be supplied with access to the new site to use on their smart phones. It builds concentric circles of support around the reentrant and those closest to him or her. The inner circle could be made up of the family, next the mentor, then the church, the employer, parole or probation officer, and whatever support agencies are involved in the person's life. By answering simple questions posed to the reentrant, artificial intelligence (AI) will respond with connections and the help they need. Links to helpful articles, web sites, bible verses, and a goal setting module will be provided to advance the reentrant's journey towards success. It's coming this fall!
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NEW REENTRY TRANSPORTATION PARTNER:
U.S. Cold Is Warm To Reentrants
U.S. Cold is a company with plants across the nation providing cold storage for food and medical companies. The company has been an Employer Partner with 2nd Chance Indy for about two years, and is moving up to join the ranks of companies that use our Reentry Transportation Program. Now they offer rides to and from work for reentrants who otherwise would not be able to be employed due to lack of affordable, dependable transportation. UI's Scott Whiting and U.S. Cold's Human Resource Supervisor, Danny Foster, met to discuss how the program works and the benefits of increased retention, and lower onboarding costs. Meanwhile they've received 43 job applications through 2nd Chance Indy. Good for U.S. Cold and good for the new employees!
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CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE:
Quantifying Effective Reentry Methods
According to the Congressional Research Service, researchers in the offender reentry field say "the best programs begin during incarceration and extend throughout the release and reintegration process.” Also, they report that “what works” are programs focusing on work training and (job) placement.” This is exactly what we do at UNITE INDY/2nd Chance Indy, plus we have available the all important mentoring factor that promotes success. However the researchers reported actual U.S. recidivism is 76.6 percent. But a good job found quickly after release can reduce recidivism to as low as 3 to 8 percent, according to the Manhattan Institute.
A job provides self esteem, encourages responsibility, and provides an economic foundation for the future, while it supplies reentrants and their families with better access to health care, housing, healthy food choices, and educational opportunity. Check out reentrant services at SecondChanceIndy.com.
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NANCY'S POST:
Kids Kill Kids But
More Turn to Suicide
We all know there is an epidemic of youth gun violence and are shocked every time we hear of the latest murder. But did you know that far more kids are killing themselves with guns??? A little research into this issue uncovers the horrific number of children who use guns to kill themselves. Suicide with a gun is 66 percent higher than Homicide with a gun among youths ages 0-19. Studies done after the pandemic showed that locking families in the home for months caused a high rate of death among kids and young adults—not from a deadly virus—but from the quick and easy method of using a gun to kill oneself. Many of our children have not really recovered from the emotional damage caused by the lock up.
Most counselors will tell you that a young man who is scared enough to shoot, or angry enough to shoot is as mentally confused as the young person who is severely depressed or suicidal. Parents need to realize the dangers, get involved, and seek the help that is available.
For more information, read Nancy’s post Here. To get help with mental health issues, click Here.
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Why Support UNITE INDY?
Our major focus is to assist the 12,000 inmates returning to Central Indiana after long-term jail sentences. UNITE INDY provides mentored job training inside the jail, and a website for those with a criminal record, SecondChanceIndy.com, filled with job openings offered by our Second Chance employer partners.
These jobs are powerful weapons with which to fight poverty in our neighborhoods.
How You Can Support Jobs for Justice- Involved Individuals
3. Please donate to UNITE INDY now. There are a number of choices that are all secure and safe. By sending your fully tax deductible gift* now we can have a greater impact meeting needs in our community in 2021
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Support of Ministries and Charities:
Remember, almost 1 out of every 3 children in Indianapolis lives below the poverty level, yet even in the aftermath of the COVID shut down, as our economy comes back to life and employment is returning, all this good news stops at the lines surrounding many of our inner city neighborhoods. In some neighborhoods of Marion County unemployment is now 21%, and poverty remains the overwhelming divider of people.
Please donate to UNITE INDY now. There are a number of choices that are all secure and safe. By sending your fully tax deductible gift* now we can have a greater impact meeting needs in our community in 2021.
Many, many thanks!
*UNITE INDY, Inc. is approved under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) as a Public Charity, donors can deduct contributions they make under IRC Section 170.
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Corporate Partners
A big Thank YOU to our Corporate Partners for their unwavering support which makes it possible for us to provide our services at no charge to job applicants and employers!
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