Hi Readers!
Thanks to everyone who has written to us about our new website. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response– which has been really encouraging! Today, we are highlighting a special section on the website: the Reentry Resource Center, with free current information that targets many of the common questions and concerns of people in reentry and their advocates. This is a feature we are really excited about!
Why did we create the Reentry Resource Center?
We created the Reentry Resource Center as a go-to free online resource for people preparing for or in reentry, their advocates, and the wider public. Why? (1) There isn’t enough information out there for people in reentry and (2) the resources that do exist are not centralized in one, easy to access place. People in reentry need information about where they are allowed to live, the kinds of jobs they can apply for, and whether they can see their children again.
Who is it for?
This hub aims to make reentry resources (legal resources, social service resources, and reports/studies on reentry) directly accessible to people preparing for or in reentry. It is also for their advocates: the social worker, the close friend, the reentry lawyer, working to provide support.
What resources are available and how are they organized?
Currently, there are 3 types of resources available online: (1) Legal Resources for People in Reentry and Their Advocates; (2) Social Service Resources- Guides for CA programs and services; and (3) Studies and Reports on Reentry Issues.
(1) Legal Resources for People in Reentry and Their Advocates
So many people in reentry don’t have access to an attorney and we are limited in our reach for whom we can provide direct services. Putting legal reentry resources online ensures that people who can’t step into our office for consultation or attend our legal trainings will still have a reference where they can access the legal information that is out there. This section is full of resources that pertain to specific areas of law and barriers people face: general resources, probation and parole rules, housing law, public benefits law, employment law, family law, education law, immigration law, expungement, and voting laws.
What is exciting to us about 2014 is that we are developing a California “Know Your Rights Guide” which will cover eight key areas of law and will be a one-stop resource for people in reentry to get the legal information they need to understand what rights, protections, restrictions, and risks exist under law. This will be available online and in print in September of this year, and we hope it will be utilized by thousands of people across the state and country!
Disclaimer: When we put together legal information, we do our best to make sure it is useful and accurate – and we periodically be check it for currentness. Of course, the laws change frequently and are subject to differing interpretations so when using the legal material, please be aware that the laws may have changed, and do check whether if it is still applicable to your situation.
(2) Social Service Resources- Guides to CA Programs and Services
People in reentry often don’t know where to go for programs and services that they need, from mental health services to housing; from vocational training to education; from parenting classes to food pantries and clothing closets. This can be remedied by having a centralized place online that collects and shares existing guides to services across the state.
More guides for programs and services need to be created. There simply are not enough of these guides in existence. We at Root & Rebound are developing our own resource guide for Alameda County (available from August 2014) and working with others in counties across the state to promote the creation of these resource guides for their counties.
(3) Studies and Reports on Reentry Issues
Here we share scholarship from around the country on all areas of reentry and criminal justice issues for people who want to learn more. This is a place to share in the excitement of the movement across the nation away from mass incarceration and to a focus on bringing people back to the community with the support they need.
We are very shortly publishing a report, Voices From The Field (May 2014), which brings together the voices of practitioners, individuals and advocates that Root & Rebound staff interviewed about the reentry landscape nation wide and the major gaps and unmet needs in reentry. It also shares best practices in starting a reentry program.
We are excited to share this feature today and we hope our readers will share the resources with individuals, groups, and the wider community. Spread the word!
Lastly, if you have any suggestions on how we can improve to this resource center, please let us know! We would love to hear from you. Comment here or email info@rootandrebound.org!
Thanks for being a part of our work!
– The R & R Team
Root & Rebound 