Self-awareness is becoming aware of our thoughts and feelings. By understanding ourselves, we are better positioned to understand others and help them in their healing journey. As peer supporters, self-awareness is essential to preparing to encounter those we support, their families, and the system and support our peers in reentry.

Grant proposals describe your organization’s mission, how you plan to use grant funds, your program's goals and objectives, a timeline for completion of the project, and an expected outcome. However, a grant proposal must be written in such a way as to convince potential funders of the value and impact of your project. At LaBarbera Learning Solutions, we’ve helped our clients write several successful grant proposals. In this guide, we’ll share with you 8 tips we’ve learned about what it takes to create a winning proposal.

The intricate link between belongingness and criminal behavior suggests that addressing the fundamental human need for connection can be a key element in the rehabilitation of those who are incarcerated.

The evidence is clear: TUMI is responsible for the drastic change I observed in people like David McMillan. So, yes, we should provide educational opportunities to those who are incarcerated!

By being consistently available, providing a listening ear, and showing clients that they are worth the effort they invest, peer supporters who are high-quality listeners can be key sources of positive support for formerly incarcerated men and women.

Evaluation is a process that critically examines a program to collect and analyze information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Evaluation can be somewhat intimidating and threatening for those unfamiliar with its usefulness. Because of the negative stigma sometimes attached to evaluation, we feel it imperative to debunk some common myths associated with program evaluation.

While listening is a skill universally lauded, it’s rarely, if ever, explicitly taught as such. Develop this one skill and see your relationships radically transform!

The lack of support, legal barriers, stigma, and meager wages create an intricate web of challenges that extend far beyond their sentence. In a system plagued by recidivism, where more than half struggle to find stable employment and two out of three are rearrested, the question is: How can we break this cycle and empower the formerly incarcerated to reintegrate successfully into society?

Successful reentry programs give formerly incarcerated individuals the opportunity to become productive members of society and make a meaningful difference in the community by providing the support they need to access the tools, resources, and stability to rebuild their lives for the better. According to research, social support is one essential way to help break the cycle of recidivism.