At the core of our work at Heartland Alliance is the belief that equitable access to safety and justice, health and healing, and economic opportunity can help people lead happy, healthy, and dignified lives. Among participants in READI Chicago, access to these human rights is especially critical for those who have been recently incarcerated, as access is so often lacking when an individual returns from incarceration.
Of men referred to READI Chicago, more than one-third are on parole. Of all READI Chicago participants:
- 96% have been arrested
- 63% have served time in prison
- 46% have been a victim of violence
- 34% have been shot at least one time.
READI is familiar with the unique challenges facing this population, seeing firsthand the gap in services needed for people to be successful after incarceration.
“There just aren’t enough pre-release re-entry services out there—it’s especially not enough for people who are at high risk of gun violence involvement,” READI Chicago Re-entry Program Manager Sophia Manuel said. “That means when people walk out of the door of a jail or prison, they may not know how they’re going to get their medication refilled, or how they’re going to get their ID back, or where they’re going to sleep or earn money that’s safe.”
Since shortly after READI Chicago launched, outreach workers have engaged people leaving incarceration through the re-entry referral pathway into the program. However, READI staff quickly began to recognize the unique barriers and need for supports that people face after incarceration.
“We started by just opening the door, but as we’ve evolved, we’ve created some systematized and intentional ways of making sure we support this population adequately,” Sophia said. “A lot of places don’t want or are just not equipped to work with people who have violent offenses and are at high risk of future involvement, but we’re showing that you can release people—with supports—and they will stay safe if they have what they need.”
READI Chicago works to make sure people can meet those needs—whether that means connection to housing, advocacy to parole agents, or writing letters to participants who are incarcerated—by beginning work with potential participants as early as possible. READI staff currently work inside jails—and hope to start working inside prisons—to build relationships, deliver cognitive behavioral therapy, and begin re-entry case planning.
“We’re here to support these guys, help them get what they need and become self-sufficient citizens,” UCAN READI Outreach Supervisor Patrick Daniels said. “These are people who aren’t looking to go back to jail, and that’s why we’re here.”
