This post contains a few organizations that already exist to fight recidivism, including some that offer rehabilitation opportunities and training for people who are recently done with their sentence.  These give a feel for the things that should be more widely implemented across the country and ways that anyone could join to help.

Changing Lanes

As seen on their very own blog, Changing Lanes provides job trainings for people who are recently released.  A common cause of recidivism is the difficulty people face when looking for jobs after spending time in prisons.  This organization is located in New York and is a non-profit that focuses on educating the formerly incarcerated.  Not only does this keep individuals from returning to these prisons, but it also helps fight the increasing unemployment rates in the larger cities.  Changing Lanes encourages anyone who can to donate to their project as their trainings can only continue with monetary supports.

RED / Rehabilitation Enables Dreams

The RED Foundation focuses primarily on rehabilitation to redirect chances of recidivism.  Based in Atlanta, Georgia, their outreach is over the entire country as their goal is to offer newly-freed individuals a 12-month crash course on a successful life outside of bars.  These lessons include general education, job skills, financial responsibilities, and civic duties.  They provide individuals with mentors and a support group they may not have found otherwise.  They encourage individuals to help by educating themselves on the issue of recidivism within the United Stated and by becoming a partner with their program.  You could even volunteer to become a mentor for someone who may need one.

The Fortune Society

The Fortune Society practices the motto “Build People, Not Prisons,” enforcing the need for rehabilitation rather than increasing incarceration rates.  This program focuses on in-house services as they recognize the difficulties past-incarcerated individuals can face when looking for both housing and job opportunities.  One of their main issues is tackling the housing crisis and hope to create more fair opportunities for individuals after leaving the system.  Not only does available housing offer stability for these individuals, but it can also decrease the likelihood of reoffending if individuals feel more secure in a possible future.  The Fortune Society encourages you to donate to their fight to end housing discrimination.

Making yourself more familiar to organizations that already exist to fight against recidivism is a step closer to involving yourself in the recovery.  Each of these organizations offer ways for anyone to get involved or just check out their sites to become more educated on their specific targeted issues.