Sarasota County citizens no longer need to start from scratch when they return home from prison. In Project 180’s First Week Out program, they have an advocate, a safety net, and people who care about their future.
Through First Week Out, Project 180 proactively plans for the reentry of Sarasota citizens from Florida state prisons. We contact them long before they’re released, ask them what they’ll need upon reentry, and prepare to meet those needs upon their return.
Phase One:
Project 180 partners with the Sarasota probation office to find out who’s returning to our county from state prison. We write to each person to introduce ourselves and include a stamped return envelope with a survey to find out what kind of help he or she will need upon reentry. We coordinate transportation with the prison as release day approaches.
If the client is homeless and program housing is available, we’ll have a home for the client upon release. During this phase, we check to make sure the client has essential documents (birth certificate, Social Security card, and state ID) for work and schedule services with community partners as needed for physicals, vision exams, mental health evaluations, and more.
Phase Two:
The first 72 hours after release are critical for both the reentering citizen and community safety. It’s an intersection in time during which a person takes the high road to successful reintegration or the low road back to prison.
Reentry is challenging. The bus ride back home is full of temptation and so are the streets. To reduce the stress of release and temptation along the way, a Project 180 representative will pick up our new client at the prison gate if the prison is within three hours of Sarasota. Otherwise, we’ll meet him or her at the local bus station to provide a warm welcome back home.
The first stop of the day is mandatory registration at the jail, then Probation if required. Over the next few days, our funding partners—Community Foundation of Sarasota County through its Equity & Access grant, Koski Family Foundation, an anonymous donor, and hundreds of donors like you—make it possible for us to purchase food, clothing, work clothes and boots, basic tools to get started at work, a phone, and funding for the first two weeks of housing. We drive clients to their new program home, help them obtain essential documents and get to job interviews on time, using ‘windshield time’ to get to know each person’s background, goals, and dreams.
Phase Three:
Peer counseling, introductions to employers, and ongoing case management services constitute the Community Reintegration phase. We assist clients in finding jobs, coordinate with other nonprofit organizations for services, and have the privilege to observe family reunification. Getting people off to a successful start has its benefits for everyone–our low 24% recidivism rate is a gratifying reward.
Our goal is to reduce the impact of repeat offenders upon public safety, public spending, Florida families and individual lives.