Project Return Inc

PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON ARE TYPICALLY STIGMATIZED, OVERLOOKED, AND PIGEONHOLED BY SOCIETY. WHEN THEY WALK INTO PROJECT RETURN, THEY DISCOVER THAT HERE THEY ARE VALUED, HEARD, AND ENCOURAGED. WHILE REDUCTION OF INCARCERATION AND OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM CONTINUES TO ELUDE THE U.S., PROJECT RETURN SERVES AS PART OF THE SOLUTION. PROJECT RETURN IS SOLELY DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESSFUL NEW BEGINNINGS OF PEOPLE RETURNING TO OUR COMMUNITY AFTER INCARCERATION. NOW IN ITS 43RD YEAR OF SERVICE TO TENNESSEE, PROJECT RETURN PROVIDES REENTRY ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TO HUNDREDS OF MEN AND WOMEN EACH YEAR. WE PLACE EMPLOYMENT AT THE CORE OF OUR WORK, BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST PREDICTOR OF A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE, AND ALL OF OUR PROGRAM SERVICES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ARE WOVEN TOGETHER TO ENSURE MAXIMAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. THE MISSION OF PROJECT RETURN IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND CONNECT PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES NEEDED TO RETURN SUCCES

JOB READINESS PROGRAM AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES: EVERY WEEK, PROJECT RETURN CONDUCTS A 2.5-DAY COURSE THAT EQUIPS OUR PARTICIPANTS WITH THE SOFT SKILLS NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORKPLACE. FOR PEOPLE BEING RELEASED FROM PRISON AND RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SKILLS, INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND AND KEEP A JOB. OUR CURRICULUM INCORPORATES FINANCIAL LITERACY, RELAPSE PREVENTION, AND DIGITAL LITERACY. COMPLETION OF OUR JOB READINESS CLASSES LEADS TO A STRUCTURED DAY OF INDIVIDUALIZED ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING RESUME DEVELOPMENT, MOCK INTERVIEWING, AND JOB SEARCH PLANNING. DURING CLASS COMPLETION DAY, PROJECT RETURN STAFF EVALUATES AND ADDRESS PARTICIPANTS' IMMEDIATE, CRITICAL NEEDS, PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES SUCH AS: PURCHASING BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND PHOTO IDS; HOUSING ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF REFERRALS AND STIPENDS; PAYING FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND VISION EXAMS; BUS PASSES AND FOOD BAGS; AND TOOLS AND CLOTHING FOR WORK. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AT PROJECT RETURN INCLUDE CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES, JOB RETENTION SERVICES, HARD SKILLS TRAINING COURSES, AND AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM.

PRO HOUSING: THE TYPICAL HOUSING TRAJECTORY WE SEE FOR OUR PEOPLE IS THAT THEY ARE FORTUNATE TO RESIDE IN TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF THEIR RELEASE, BUT IT EVENTUALLY COMES TO AN END AND THEY MUST LOOK FOR AFFORDABLE RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS EARN SATISFACTORY WAGES AND ARE RELIABLE TAXPAYERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, STIGMA OFTEN LEADS TO EXCLUSION FROM THE PRIVATE MARKET, AS LANDLORDS ARE FREE TO USE CONVICTION HISTORY AS A BASIS FOR REJECTING THEIR APPLICATIONS. IT CAN BE PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET ON A LEASE, DESPITE THEIR STEADY INCOME, SOLID REFERENCES, CAREFUL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND OVERALL WHEREWITHAL. ADDITIONALLY, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TO PRISON JUST ONCE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AT A RATE 7 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHILE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED MULTIPLE TIMES EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AT A RATE 13 TIMES HIGHER THAN THOSE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN INCARCERATED AT ALL. RECOGNIZING THIS SEVERE NEED FOR ACCESSIBLE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH A CONVICTION HISTORY, AND FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF PROE, PROJECT RETURN LAUNCHED ITS SECOND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, PROH (PROJECT RETURN OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING), IN 2017. THROUGH PROH, PROJECT RETURN ACQUIRES AND REHABS MODEST, SCATTERED-SITE (ANTI-ENCLAVE), MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO RENT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COME THROUGH PROJECT RETURN'S PROGRAMS. SINCE LAUNCH IN 2017, PROJECT RETURN HAS PURCHASED AND REHABBED 16 UNITS (DUPLEXES AND TRIPLEXES) IN SITES SCATTERED ACROSS NASHVILLE FOR RENT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LEADING SUCCESSFUL NEW LIVES AFTER INCARCERATION. SPEAKING TO THE SUCCESS OF PROH, RECIDIVISM RATES OF OUR PROH TENANTS IS 0% AFTER TWO YEARS OF OPERATION. BY PROVIDING SAFE, STABLE, PERMANENT HOUSING, INDIVIDUALS CAN LEAD PRODUCTIVE, SUCCESSFUL LIVES AND LEAVE PRISON BEHIND.

PRO EMPLOYMENT (PROE) AND PRO PROPERTY SOLUTIONS (PROPS): DESPITE INCREASING AWARENESS AND WILLINGNESS OF EMPLOYERS TO HIRE PEOPLE WITH CONVICTION HISTORIES, THERE IS STILL TREMENDOUS RELUCTANCE TO HIRE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION. PROJECT RETURN OFFERS INNOVATIVE, EMPLOYMENT-CREATING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AS A SOLUTION. PROE (PROJECT RETURN OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT), LAUNCHED IN 2013, FUNCTIONS AS A TRANSITIONAL JOBS PROGRAM THAT BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN INCARCERATION AND EMPLOYMENT. THROUGH PROE, PROJECT RETURN HIRES ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS TEMPORARILY AND PLACES THEM IN JOBS ON THE WORKSITES OF PARTNERING EMPLOYERS. THOSE COMPANIES GAIN MUCH-NEEDED WORKERS, WHILE PROJECT RETURN'S MOTIVATED JOB SEEKERS GAIN AN IMMEDIATE INCOME AND VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE, PROPELLING THEM INTO LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT. PROJECT RETURN OUTFITS THEM FOR THE JOB, AND PROVIDES TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYEES WITH JOB COACHING, TRAINING, TRANSPORTATION, AND WRAPAROUND SUPPORT. PROE'S SUCCESS AND OUR DESIRE TO EXPAND ON OUR IMMEDIATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS LED TO THE CREATION OF ANOTHER SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, PRO PROPERTY SOLUTIONS (PROPS). LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2019, PROPS IS A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE COMPANY THAT OFFERS GROUNDSKEEPING AND COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES, AS WELL AS FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND MAKE-READY SERVICES, AND PROPERTY DECONSTRUCTION. WITH THIS ENTERPRISE, WE CREATE MORE EMPLOYMENT AND HARD SKILLS OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE, ALL THE WHILE GENERATING EARNED INCOME TO SUPPORT OUR OVERALL AGENCY BUDGET. THROUGH PROPS AND PROE, OUR PARTICIPANTS GAIN REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE ON THE JOB, AS WELL AS OUR INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING AND FEEDBACK, TRANSPORTATION, AND OTHER CRITICAL ASSISTANCE, AND PROJECT RETURN GENERATES EARNED INCOME FOR THE OPERATION AND GROWTH OF THESE EMPLOYMENT-CREATING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES. BETWEEN PROE AND PROPS, WE'VE EMPLOYED OVER 950 PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PRISON, PAID THEM MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION IN WAGES, AND GENERATED MORE THAN 2.7 MILLION IN EARNED REVENUE.

IN-REACH: PROJECT RETURN HAS HISTORICALLY CONDUCTED IN-REACH SESSIONS INSIDE INCARCERATION FACILITIES ACROSS THE REGION AND STATE, TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO COME TO PROJECT RETURN UPON THEIR RELEASE. THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, PROJECT RETURN REMAINED ON THE FRONTLINE AND CONTINUED DELIVERING OUR SIGNATURE SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR CUSTOMARY IN-REACH: AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID-19 IN MARCH 2020, ALL PRISONS AND JAILS WERE ABRUPTLY CLOSED TO VISITORS. THUS, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONDUCT IN-PERSON VISITS UNTIL THOSE FACILITIES WERE REOPENED TO VISITORS STARTING IN MAY/JUNE 2021. DURING THAT PERIOD, WE DEVELOPED ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR OUR IN-REACH: WE CREATED VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL SESSIONS FOR THE INCARCERATION FACILITIES THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE IT, WE MAINTAINED MAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH ALL OF THE PRISONS AND JAILS, AND WE CREATED TARGETED PRINT CONTENT WHICH WE SENT REGULARLY TO THOSE FACILITIES FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THEIR RESIDENTS.