Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry

General Tips, Information, and Encouragement

THREE RESOURCES EVERY RETURNING CITIZEN NEED
Every year, hundreds of thousands of prisoners are released and return to society, and they need a second chance. The Church should be a place where they can easily find support and encouragement.

EIGHT WAYS TO PREPARE FOR A LOVED ONE‘S REENTRY
Preparing you and your family for the return of your incarcerated loved one can be beneficial to your loved one‘s reentry … and your family‘s adjustment. Here are eight ways to prepare for a loved one’s reentry.

SEVEN WAYS TO HELP YOUR LOVED ONE ADJUST TO LIFE AFTER PRISON
How can you help your loved one adjust to life after prison? Here are seven ways to consider.

IS YOUR LOVED ONE GETTING RELEASED? DON’T DO THESE 3 THINGS.
Your loved one is finally coming home. Follow these tips to make sure their reentry is successful.

GET OUT AND STAY OUT: A REENTRY GUIDE

More than 600,000 prisoners are released every year. Two out of three former prisoners will be rearrested again within three years. How can you make the most of your second chance by getting out and staying out.

PREPARING YOUR CHURCH FOR REENTRY
The Church has an important role to play in reducing recidivism through reentry ministry. Find out how you can prepare your church for reentry.

ROOM IN MY PEWS: A CONVERSATION ON REENTRY MINISTRY
In April, Prison Fellowship’s Justice Reform team hosted four Twitter chats with a variety of experts for Second Chance™ Month. In “Room in My Pews,” Christian leaders discuss how the Church can best respond to the needs of returning citizens.

Books to Check Out

Successful Reentry - General Topics

Beyond Bars: Rejoining Society After Prison by Jeffrey Ian Ross
A practical and comprehensive guide for ex-prisoners and their families about managing a successful reentry into the community and includes: Tips on how to prepare for release while still in Prison, ways to deal with family members, finding a job, money issues, and avoiding drugs and other illicit activities.

Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul by Jack Canfield
101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Hope, Healing and Forgiveness.

Getting Out and Staying Out by Demico Boothe

A short, easy to read set of guidelines intended to help incarcerated and newly freed African-American men (a) learn how to most productively do their time while in prison (b) know what to expect once they are released (c) understand that entrepreneurship and self-employment is what their long-term focus should be on instead of a job, and (d) understand the importance of stable relationships and how they aid in successful re-entry.

The 99 Days to Re-Entry Success Journal by Ronald Krannich

This weekly planning and implementation journal assists ex-offenders in dealing with key transition issues during their first 99 days in the free world. It requires users to specify three major objectives each week, identify specific supporting daily activities, anticipate related outcomes, evaluate their progress at the end of each week, and make key adjustments for the next week.

The Ex-Offenders Re-Entry Success Guide by Ronald L Krannich

Addressing the whole re-entry process from beginning to end, this book is "must" reading for anyone preparing to re-enter the free world. It's also an ideal book for friends, loved ones, and supporters as well as those who are already on the outside but need better guidance on how they can jump-start their new life…and stay out for good!

Job Searches and Employment

HONEST JOBS

When people come home from prison, they need steady employment to support themselves and their families. Returning citizens have the skills, talents, and motivation to make good on their second chance—exactly the kind of team members that companies want to hire!

Prison Fellowship is partnering with HonestJobs, a trusted national reentry partner, to help people with a criminal record find work. Through the HonestJobs portal, employers can register and post job openings, and returning citizens can submit applications. We are grateful for the way HonestJobs is making these connections possible!

TEN COMPANIES IN THE BUSINESS OF SECOND CHANCES

These ten companies believe in second chances. That’s why they offer employment, training, and other benefits and support to qualified and hardworking former prisoners.

HOW TO FIND A JOB AFTER PRISON

Don’t know where to start? Unsure how to discuss your criminal history with a potential employer?

HOW TO WRITE A RESUME WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD

Do you need a resume? And how should you explain gaps in your work history?

ACE YOUR INTERVIEW

So you found a job you want, submitted an application and your resume, and they want to meet you! Congratulations! Now, are you prepared for your interview?

6 LESSONS FOR EMPLOYERS HIRING FORMER PRISONERS

An inside look at one company building a culture of second chances.

Books to Check Out

Successful Reentry - Employment

Best Jobs for Ex-Offenders: 101 Opportunities to Jump-Start Your New Life by Ronald L. Krannich
Profiling 101 opportunities that are relatively open to people with not-so-hot backgrounds, this upbeat book gives renewed hope and direction to ex-offenders who are uncertain what they want to do, can do, and will do in the free world.

Illegal to Legal: Business Success for (ex) Criminals by Mr. R. L. Pelshaw

This book explains how to use your past life experience, your skills, and your passions to start your own business. Practical steps and inspiring real life examples are provided, and a step by step plan to help you start a business. A book for the offender, ex-offender, person at risk to offend, person living in crime, or the families of any of these groups so they can learn the steps to support themselves in a meaningful way, apart from crime.

Jails to Jobs: Seven Steps to Becoming Employed by Mark Drevno

A step-by-step approach written specifically for ex-offenders that will take you through the process of finding a job. We offer tips and techniques to help you be more effective and give you the encouragement you need to reach your final goal—a job that is a good fit for you and the employer.

Jobs for Felons by Michael Ford

This guide will help ex-prisoners and their families by providing important information you can use to find employment plus it explains background checks, how to deal with a conviction during an interview and much more that will help you after your release from jail or prison.

Re-Entry Employment and Life Skills Pocket Guide by Ronald L. Krannich

Jam-packed with essential personal, job search, and employability information for transitioning to the world of work. Covers assessment, motivation, applications, resumes, interviews, salaries, and job offers. Includes key life skills information on education, attitudes, housing, transportation, health, finances, and community services. Ideal street-level transition guide for ex-offenders.

The Ex-Offender’s 30/30 Job Solution by Neil P. McNulty

This book introduces the concept of the “30/30 Job Search™”,” which has been successfully used by thousands of job placement clients. It outlines a powerful 30-day program for job hunters who seek satisfying employment opportunities within 30 miles of any location in the United States. The authors reveal how anyone with a stable work history and marketable skills can quickly find a job close to home by using an arsenal of unconventional job search strategies and techniques that get the attention of prospective employers.

The Ex-Offender’s Job Hunting Guide: 10 Steps to a New Life in the Work by Ron Krannich
This comprehensive book helps ex-offenders develop the proper attitudes and strategies for landing jobs that can lead to rewarding careers.

The Ex-Offender’s Job Interview Guide: Turn Your Red Flags into Green Lights by Ron Krannich
Addressing the many employability issues facing ex-offenders, this book shows them how to deal with today's job market challenges. Focusing on the critical job interview, it emphasizes the importance of turning obvious red flags into green lights by developing effective communication skills.

The Ex-Offender’s Quick Job Hunting Guide by Ronald Krannich
More than 650,000 individuals leave prison each year. Their number one problem in making a successful re-entry is finding a stable job. Jam-packed with practical insights, self-tests, and exercises, this workbook is designed to implement 10 key steps for re-entering the work world.

Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations

Administration for Children & Families (ACF)

202-401-9200
www.acf.hhs.gov

America’s Workforce Network

Toll-free Helpline:
1-877-872-5627

America’s Service Locator

www.servicelocator.org

Catholic Charities USA

2050 Ballenger Avenue, Suite 400
Alexandria, VA, 22314
703-549-1290

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)

5600 Fischers Lane
Rockville, MD, 20857
Office Phone: 240-276-1660
Toll-free Helpline: 1-800-726-4727
www.samhsa.gov

Connections to Success

3000 Little Hills Expressway, Ste. 102
St. Charles, MO, 63301
636-940-8027
www.connectionstosuccess.org

Division of Youth Services

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-4508
Washington, D.C., 20210
202-693-3030

Division of WIA Adult Services and Work Force System

202-693-3046

Employment and Training Administration

200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C., 20210
1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-4-872-365)
www.doleta.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

1-800-669-4000
www.eeoc.gov

Fairshake.net

P.O. Box 63
Westby, WI, 54667
608-634-6363

Federal Bonding program

1-800-233-2258

Federal Bureau of Prisons

320 First Street NW
Washington, D.C., 20534
www.bop.gov

Goodwill

15810 Indianola Drive
Rockville, MD, 20855
1-800-GOODWILL (1-800-466-39455)
www.goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services

Honest Jobs – Fair-Chance Employment

https://www.honestjobs.com/

IMDiversity

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2502
New Orleans, LA, 70170
281-265-2472
www.imdiversity.com

Intercristo (ChristianJobs)

19303 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, WA, 98133
www.intercristo.com (www.christianjobs.com)

Jails to Jobs

3641 Mount Diablo Blvd., #1164
Lafayette, CA, 94549
www.jailstojobs.org

Job Corps

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N4463
Washington, D.C., 20210
800-733-5627
www.jobcorps.gov

Legal Action Center

(In person by appointment only)
225 Varick Street
New York, NY, 10014
212-243-1313
www.lac.org

Office of Child Support Enforcement (CSE)

370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW
Washington, D.C., 20447
202-401-9373
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/css

Operation New Hope

1830 N. Main St.
Jacksonville, FL, 32206
904-354-HOPE
www.operationnewhope.org

National Reentry Resource Center

22 Cortlandt Street, 22 Floor
New York, NY, 10007
1-877-332-1719
www.csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/reentry-services-directory

SAFER FOUNDATION

571 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL, 60661
312-913-2200
www.saferfoundation.org

Social Security Administration (SSA)

Toll-free: 1-800-772-1213
www.ssa.gov

Additional SSA Resources: Benefits after Incarceration, SSI Spotlight on Prerelease Procedure, Re-entering the Community After Incarceration— How We Can Help

United Way

703-836-7100
www.unitedway.org

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service

200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C., 20201
Toll-free: 1-877-696-6775
www.hhs.gov

U.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C., 20210
1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2368)
www.dol.gov

Welfare-to-Work Division

www.cdss.ca.gov

Work Opportunity and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credits

Employment and Training Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C., 20210
202-693-2786
www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy

YMCA of the USA

101 N. Wacket Drive
Chicago, IL, 60606
1-800-872-9622
www.ymca.net

YWCA

2025 M Street, NW Suite 550
Washington, D.C., 20036
202-467-0801
www.ywca.org

211

Dial: 2-1-1

GENERAL RESOURCES ON REENTRY

RESOURCES ON EMPLOYMENT