Purpose

Jul. 11, 2016 9:59 am

These 300 re-entrants were sentenced to life as kids. Who will help them reintegrate?

Social services will need to figure out how to serve the 295 individuals returning to Philadelphia from life sentences they received as juveniles.

The City of Philadelphia and the  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have both made some big moves this year to crack down on recidivism rates and mass incarceration. But the next challenge on the re-entry front is on the horizon for Philadelphia, and with it comes some new challenges for social service providers and businesses.

Across the state, 507 individuals sentenced as juveniles to life without parole are being released under a law found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Of those 507 individuals, 295 are from Philadelphia — many aged well into adulthood and lacking money, support networks and work experience.

“They didn’t finish growing up [before they entered prison],” Pennsylvania Prison Society‘s Steve Gotzler told the Inquirer. “All the normal developmental things didn’t get a chance to happen.”

Read the full story

What will keep those 295 individuals from getting yanked back into the way of life that put them in prison in the first place — a phenomenon Media in Neighborhoods Group cofounder El Sawyer has dubbed the “pull of gravity?”

This wave of newly-released individuals will put nonprofits tasked with cutting recidivism rates and getting formerly incarcerated individuals prepared to be productive members of society to the test. Can popularly funded re-entry programs like Center for Employment Opportunities step up to the plate and prove their programs should continue to be scaled, or will this new challenge give rise to new players — or both?

From our Partners

-30-

From our Partners

Solutions at the Intersection: Lessons Beyond Philadelphia

Standing in the Gaps

Empowering Healing and Growth: Create Safe Spaces for Young People

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Meet Kim Andrews, new executive director for The Fund for Women and Girls

Philadelphia, PA

Resolve Philly

Director of Community News & Connection

Apply Now
Media, PA

Natural Lands

Director of Development Services

Apply Now
Philadelphia, PA

Pennsylvania Prison Society

Education and Advocacy Director

Apply Now

Testing a new Generocity

6 things we know about you

Nonprofit AF: It’s time for nonprofits and foundations to implement vaccine mandates

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Be the leader to bring a 26-year mission into the future in Chester County

Radnor, PA

The Grace S. and W. Linton Nelson Foundation

Communications and Outreach Manager

Apply Now
Philadelphia,PA

DiverseForce

Director of Communications

Apply Now
8033 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118

harp-weaver LLC

Administrative & Grants Associate

Apply Now
   
       
       

Subscribe to Generocity

       
* indicates required