Kansas City-area nonprofit offers released inmates a second chance at life

APRIL MARKS SECONDCHANCE MONTH.IT RECOGNIZES THEPOTENTIAL FORINDIVIDUALS WHO'VE BEENINCARCERATED - AS THEYRE-INTEGRATE INTOSOCIETY.THE IMPORTANCE OF THISMONTH IS RECOGNIZED BYPRESIDENT JOE BIDEN -WHO RECENTLY SIGNED APROCLAMATION ONSECOND CHANCE MONTH.WHITE HOUSE LEADERSSAY 600-THOUSANDPEOPLE RETURN TO THEIRCOMMUNITIES FROM STATEAND FEDERAL PRISONSEVERY YEAR.AND RE-INTEGRATINGINTO SOCIETY - ISN'T EASY.ACCORDING TO NON-PROFIT GROUP - PRISONFELLOWSHIP - 1 IN 3AMERICAN ADULTS HAS ACRIMINAL RECORD.THAT CAN LIMIT ACCESSTO EDUCATION, JOBS, ANDHOUSING.A DATA ANALYSIS BYNON-PROFIT GROUP - "THEPRISON POLICY INITIATIVE"- FINDS 27-PERCENT OFFORMERLY INCARCERATEDPEOPLE - AREUNEMPLOYED.THIS GRAPH SHOWS THEUNEMPLOYMENT RATE BYDEMOGRAPHIC - BETWEENTHE GENERAL POPULATION- AND THOSE WHO'VEBEEN TO PRISON.YOU CAN SEE THE DOTSON THE RIGHT ARESUBSTANTIALLY HIGHERTHAN THE GENERALPOPULATION FIGURES ONTHE LEFT.THE ANALYSIS ALSOFOUND THE RATE OFHOMELESSNESS AFTERPRISON.THOSE WHO'VE BEEN TOPRISON ONCE EXPERIENCEHOMELESSNESS AT A RATENEARLY 7-TIMES HIGHERTHAN THE GENERALPUBLIC.THOSE WHO'VE BEENINCARCERATED MORETHAN ONCE ARE 13-TIMESMORE LIKELY TOEXPERIENCEHOMELESSNESS.THESE ARE JUST SOMEOF THE ISSUES FORMERINMATES CAN EXPERIENCEUPON THEIR RELEASE.AS 41 ACTION NEWSANCHOR GABRIELLAPAGAN EXPLAINS - THEREIS HELP.Brittany Peterson/Lead ResourceSpecialist & TrainingFacilitator atSecond Chance Risk ReductionCenter" you don't need to be damnedfor life because you have thisF on your forehead for felon,there is hope on the otherside."FOR MORE THAN 200RELEASED INMATES EACHYEAR... THAT HOPE COMESIN THE FORM OF APROGRAM DEDICATED TOSECOND CHANCES.Peterson"We have all made poordecisions in our lifetime but Icertainly am not defined by mypoor decisions and I don'tbelieve that the widercommunity needs to bedefined by those poordecisions either."WITH THE GOAL OFREACHING THOSE ONPAROLE OR PROBATIONAND OFFERING ADIFFERENTOPPORTUNITY... SO THEYDON'T RETURN TO PRISON.Peterson" Do you want better?

Do youwant to work?

Do you want totry something different in orderto see a better outcome?"AFTER SPENDING YEARSBEHIND BARS - FREDERICKMARTIN DID.Martin"They support me but morethan anything else they listento me, they saw me as aperson."Peterson" whatever the barrier is that'skeeping you from beingsuccessful, we want to helploop in those resources thatare necessary for that secondchance."WHETHER THAT'S MENTALHEALTH, SUBSTANCEMISUSE, TRAUMA IN THECOMMUNITY, PARENTINGSKILLS, HOUSING OREMPLOYMENT.

THEKansas City METRO CRIMECOMMISSION'S SECONDCHANCE - RISK REDUCTIONPROGRAM IS THERE.Frederick Martin/Second ChanceGraduate" I think it was a blessing thatIwas able to hit second chanceand then when I got there andthey gave me exactly what Ineeded"" The main thing that secondChance helped me with washow I began to view things,my mindset changed."... SOON ENOUGH - SO DIDHIS SELF-CONFIDENCE.Martin" you have to understandsometimes you be kind ofbroke down a little bit, that'swhat the prison system is setup for, just to break it downand the harder you fightagainst them not breaking youdown the more broke downyou become."IT'S BEEN NEARLY 3 YEARSNOW SINCE FREDERICKGRADUATED FROM THEPROGRAM AND IS LIVINGOUT HIS SECONDCHANCE.Martin" I have my own place I have apiece of car to get back-and-forth when I'm not riding thebus, I have food to eat, I havepeople that care about me, Ihave people that love me, Ihave people that areconcerned about me, I'mgoing to school, I'm kind ofclose to getting my degreenow so Right now I thinkI'm living my best life."IN KANSAS CITY,GABRIELLA PAGAN,