REIMAGINE POTENTIAL FOUNDATION

Recidivism is a serious problem in Colorado. Nearly 54% of people released from prison return within 3 years primarily due to a lack of quality employment and stable housing. Reimagine Potential Foundation looks to attack both of these problems by offering employment and onsite housing through our custom furniture shop, custom cabinet shop, showroom and metal fabrication shop.

 

Housing will consist of apartments above the workshops that they can rent. This will help them with a third problem that they sometimes encounter, and that's transportation. Having housing onsite will allow them to have the independence and responsibility of living on their own, while being able to walk to work. 

 

Utilizing our current relationships with organizations who work with this demographic will allow us to find potential employees.  The flagship organization will be headquartered in the Denver area with the long term goal being to expand to other cities and states.

 

It costs over $40,000 a year in Colorado to house one inmate. Between the money saved from not housing an inmate and the taxes that they will pay along with payroll taxes, our program has the potential to save the taxpayers of Colorado nearly $1,000,000 per year.

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Recidivism Statistics

 

-Depending on which study you look at, upwards of 75% get arrested again.

-As many as 75% of hiring managers state that a non-violent felony would weigh heavily in their hiring decision.

-Getting a call back from a potential employer goes down by 50% if someone has a felony on their record (this is thought to be a conservative estimate).

-While in prison, inmates must follow specific rules and schedules. Once released into society and free, and not having strict rules and schedules, inmates can become overwhelmed and become anxious, depressed, etc which can lead to substance abuse which can lead to desperation and committing other crimes.

-Many times inmates will go back to the same circle of friends and associates as they had before being incarcerated. Making new friends can be difficult for inmates.

-50% of federal prisoners are there for non violent drug offenses

-Upwards of 83% of prisoners released in Colorado were incarcerated for drug offenses.

-33% of prison admissions are parole violations.

-49% of people with 2 or more arrests per year make less than $10,000 per year and 15% are unemployed.

-5.7% of formerly incarcerated people are homeless or have housing insecurities.

-Across America there are over 48,000 legal restrictions that limit where inmates can work and live.  The state of Louisiana has 389 restrictions alone.

-Re-entry services have been shown to lower recidivism. Three years after incarceration, rates dropped between 6% and 19% in eight states that tracked recidivism from 2010 to 2013.

-650,000 ex offenders are released from prison every year and approximately two thirds will be rearrested within 3 years of release.  (justice.gov  United States Department of Justice)

-Most former prisoners are released to impoverished neighborhoods with few social supports and high crime rates.

- With no job, no money, and no place to live, returnees often find themselves facing the same pressures and temptations that landed them in prison in the first place. Assisting those who are returning to society in finding and keeping employment, identifying transitional housing, and receiving mentoring are three key elements of successful re-entry into our communities.

-33% of prison admissions are parole violations.

-49% of people with 2 or more arrests per year make less than $10,000 per year and 15% are unemployed.

-5.7% of formerly incarcerated people are homeless or have housing insecurities.