Project Return Inc

PROJECT RETURN EXISTS TO HELP MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED INCARCERATION MAKE A POSITIVE, PERMANENT RETURN TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THE COMMUNITY.

2021 OVERVIEWAS PROJECT RETURN LOOKS BACK AT 2020, THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC CASTS ITS SHADOW OVER EVERY ASPECT OF OUR ORGANIZATION. NOT ONLY DID COVID-19 AFFECT OUR CLIENTS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS, BUT THE PANDEMIC ALSO HAD AN IMPACT ON THE SERVICES WE DELIVERED AND THE WAY WE DELIVERED THEM. IT DID NOT, HOWEVER, AFFECT OUR MISSION, WHICH REMAINS UNCHANGED SINCE OUR FOUNDING OVER 40 YEARS AGO: WE CONTINUED TO HELP MEN AND WOMEN RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION TO MAKE A POSITIVE, PERMANENT RETURN TO COMMUNITY, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS.THE HOLISTIC NATURE OF PROJECT RETURN'S WORK WAS NEVER MORE APPARENT OR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS PAST YEAR WHEN LIFE FELT UNSTABLE TO SO MANY OF US. WE PROVIDED SERVICES THAT WORKED TOGETHER TO BUILD THE STABILITY OUR CLIENTS ARE STRIVING FOR: STABILITY IN HOUSING, IN EMPLOYMENT, AND IN HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. EVEN AFTER THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH CLIENTS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, PROVIDING FLEXIBLE, CUSTOMIZED ASSISTANCE TO MEET EACH PERSON'S NEEDS. WE MET WITH CLIENTS VIRTUALLY AND ALSO ARRANGED ONE-TO-ONE, IN-PERSON MEETINGS FOLLOWING STRICT PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS. EMPLOYMENT AND BASIC NEEDSFINDING A JOB IS ALMOST ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY OF OUR CLIENTS, AND WE WORK HARD TO HELP CLIENTS OVERCOME BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT. THOSE BARRIERS ARE OFTEN FORMIDABLE LACK OF EDUCATION, LITTLE TO NO WORK EXPERIENCE, MINIMAL JOB SKILLS, AND LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. THIS PAST YEAR, THE ADDITIONAL BARRIER OF COVID-19 MADE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR CLIENTS TO FIND JOBS. WE ARE ESPECIALLY EXCITED THAT AS THE ECONOMY BEGAN TO REBOUND IN 2021, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST 72 CLIENTS IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT AT AN AVERAGE WAGE OF $14.07. BECAUSE OUR CLIENTS FACE SO MANY EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS, THEY OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING JOBS THAT PAY ABOVE POVERTY LEVEL WAGES. LAST YEAR, HOWEVER, WE PLACED MORE CLIENTS THAN EVER (170) IN THE FOODSHARE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING (FSET) PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES ACCESS TO SHORT-TERM TRAINING IN HIGH-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. BECAUSE OF WORKER SHORTAGES, OUR CASE MANAGERS ALSO FOUND IT EASIER TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS TO EMBRACE MORE "FELON FRIENDLY" POLICIES. AS A RESULT, THE AVERAGE WAGE OUR CLIENTS EARNED IN 2021 WAS $2.40 PER HOUR ABOVE THE PREVIOUS YEAR, A $5,000 INCREASE IN ANNUAL INCOME! SOCIAL SUPPORTTHE CRITICAL NEED OUR CLIENTS HAD FOR SOCIAL SUPPORT IN 2020 CONTINUED IN 2021. IN THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, THE ISOLATION CREATED BY THE PANDEMIC LED TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, SUCH AS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AS WELL AS RECOVERY RELAPSES. FOR PEOPLE RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION, WHO OFTEN HAVE LIMITED SUPPORT SYSTEMS, THE EFFECTS OF ISOLATION WERE INTENSIFIED. MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, THE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT PROJECT RETURN PROVIDED TO OUR CLIENTS WAS CRITICAL TO THEIR SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY.BEYOND THE ARRAY OF CLEAR-CUT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDEDSUCH AS HELPING PEOPLE TO FIND WORK OR A PLACE TO LIVEPROJECT RETURN ALSO HELPED CLIENTS TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN THE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE CENTRAL TO SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY. WE HELPED CLIENTS BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS, BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON, THROUGH THE FOLLOWING: AODA TREATMENT CIRCLES OF SUPPORT REFERRALS TO PARENTING CLASSES WOMEN'S SUPPORT GROUP.CIRCLES OF SUPPORTCIRCLES OF SUPPORT CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF OUR MOST POWERFUL TOOLS IN IMPROVING RE-ENTRY OUTCOMES. THESE SMALL GROUPS MEET REGULARLY TO PROVIDE A STABLE, SUPPORTIVE NETWORK TO MEN AND WOMEN RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION. MEMBERS OF EACH CIRCLE INCLUDE FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE, AT LEAST ONE TRAINED CIRCLE KEEPER, AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. CIRCLES OF SUPPORT FOLLOW A STRUCTURED PROCESS THAT ALLOWS FOR SHARING OF EXPERIENCES AND A SAFE SPACE TO BE HEARD. THEY HELP TO OVERCOME THE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND STIGMA THAT THOSE RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION ENCOUNTER AND ENABLE THEM TO REALIZE NEW POSSIBILITIES IN THEIR LIVES. 247 FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF OUR CIRCLES IN 2021. ADVOCACYPROJECT RETURN CONTINUED OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN 2021 IN AN ATTEMPT TO MOVE POLICY LOCALLY AND STATEWIDE TO REFORM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION. WE ENGAGED BOTH FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSONS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF WHOM LEARNED OF OUR WORK THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITIES, IN THIS ESSENTIAL WORK. A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR EFFORTS IN 2021 CONTINUED TO BE MOBILIZING ACTION TO EXPAND MILWAUKEE COUNTY'S VERY LIMITED MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT COURT. WE MET WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS TO ENCOURAGE THE COURT'S EXPANSION, WHICH WOULD HELP TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR FOR INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS THROUGH THE AVAILABILITY OF COURT-ORDERED, LONG-TERM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT WITH INTENSIVE COURT SUPERVISION. WE ENSURED THAT THOSE MEETINGS WERE DRIVEN BY DIRECT INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (OR FROM THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS) AND WHOSE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED THROUGH A MORE TARGETED MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT PROCESS. EARLY IN 2022 IT APPEARS THIS ADVOCACY IS PAYING DIVIDENDS AS THERE IS A STRONG LIKELIHOOD OF FUNDING THROUGH THE COUNTY TO EXPAND THE COURT.ANOTHER MAJOR ADVOCACY EFFORT IS AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE FELMERS CHANEY CORRECTIONAL CENTER FROM BEING CONVERTED INTO A JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER HERE IN MILWAUKEE. WHILE WE TOTALLY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO CLOSE LINCOLN HILLS AND COPPER LAKE YOUTH FACILITIES AND BRING OUR KIDS BACK TO MILWAUKEE, WE CANNOT DO IT AT THE EXPENSE OF ADULTS WHO ARE DESPERATE THE RE-CONNECT AND DEVELOP ROOTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE IS A STRONG GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO SECURE ANOTHER SITE FOR THE YOUTH FACILITY AND SAVING THE CHANEY CENTER.