Peer Education, Empowerment and Re-Entry Services

PEERS – Our Peer Reentry program is guided by credible messengers who have personal experience with incarceration. Drawing from our lived experience we offer invaluable insights, understanding, and unwavering support towards personal growth and a successful reentry.  

Our Reentry program has a dual purpose to work those in the carcel system and those returning to society; we provide support to individuals who are incarcerated and returning home by assisting them with the resources necessary for self-growth, personal development, and mental health.  

Having experienced long-term incarceration, being justice involved, and having gone through similar system-impacted challenges. We are PEERS who understand life behind the wall, and we collaboratively assist in designing Wellness Plans with members to use both while awaiting release and after being paroled back in the community. 

EMPOWERMENT- Provide Systems Navigation & Support –The PEERS program offers comprehensive systems navigation and social support during key stages of the parole/reentry process. , building a prosocial lifestyle and healthy support system.

We assist participants in getting free or discounted phone and internet services, setting up an email account, learning to utilize the web to discover and access social benefits, and establishing a Your Benefits Now account. Our services also help , we participate inie Additional guidance is offered around attaining essential resources such as housing, employment, healthcare, and education. s

EDUCATION. We Facilitate Wellness Groups that focus on Emotional Awareness and Mental Health—PEERS staff serve as a bridge between correctional facilities and community-based services. This includes prison correspondence wellness groups such as Seeking Safety, which deals with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and substance use; WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), and Anger Management.  

Members receive certificates upon completion.

PEERS also assists with board preparation; we provide guides to creating a well-prepared parole packet; support letters in favor of release for parole, resentencing, and commutations of sentences; and resource linkages to transitional housing, employment opportunities, and peer support.   

 Our aim is to educate and equip individuals with reentry life skills and personal development, empowering them with the wellness tools, self-confidence, and self-advocacy necessary to be successful on their journey of recovery, release, and readjusting in society.  

 REENTRY. We Address All Dimensions of Wellness - Successful reentry extends beyond basic needs. PEERS practices a holistic approach by addressing all dimensions of wellness, including physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. By offering comprehensive support, such as counseling, vocational training, mentorship, and peer support, members are empowered to build resilience, develop healthy coping skills, and cultivate a stable and healthy support network. Staff who are peers understand this experience and have developed programming that is responsive to the unique needs of the reentry population. 

SERVICE. Giving Back- As a PEER reaching out to others, service is important; it is all about giving back to the community and living out our amends. Many of us who have traveled on this path recognize the value of being of service to others, lending a helping hand, and shedding light for those who sit in darkness. 

Whether it is mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or physically, the liberating power that comes from peer support services and knowing one is not alone on this journey is a vital piece of the reentry puzzle.  Gaining the strength and courage to utilize our skills and bring empowerment, mutuality, and hope in our recovery is crucial to creating a healthy inner society of resilient peers who can positively impact future generations.