Advocating for Policies that will Enable the Formerly Incarcerated to Live Responsibly and Support Their Families.
Annually, approximately 70,000 people leave prison and return to Texas communities without ever having developed the tools necessary to avert them from the criminal justice system. In order to support their integration as contributing members of society, we must work together to promote the resources that empower these men and women to succeed in neigborhoods where they need them.
Lack of economic opportunity, learning disabilities, undiagnosed mental health disorders, criminally minded peers, unresolved issues evolving from physical and psychological abuse, and drug dependence all act as barriers to self-actualization, especially for individuals who have committed crimes and served their sentences. For previously incarcerated people, legal barriers to obtaining state ID cards, housing, and employment further jeopardize efforts to participate in society in a fulfilling and productive way.
Successful re-entry into our communities benefits public safety, family cohesion, local economies (including through tax savings and employment), and public health.
TCJC's new Tools for Re-Entry (TRE) project is intended for formerly incarcerated individuals, employers, landlords, and service providers who are taking part in re-entry initiatives. Our goal is to connect people who have been incarcerated with available educational training opportunities, housing, job opportunities, voting information, and other information necessary to become and stay law-abiding, productive citizens.
Click here to link to the Tools for Practitioners page. There you will find reports, guides, and useful tools for re-entry practitioners.
For more information about this project or to get involved, please contact Ana Yanez-Correa at acorrea@criminaljusticecoalition.org or call 512.441.8123, x. 109.