Residential Reentry for Women

New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc.

A program designed to support formerly incarcerated women to successfully navigate the overwhelming complexities of reentering society upon their release.

 

Hello, thank you for your interest in New Beginnings Reentry Services.  Let me tell you a little bit more about what a reentry program is and why it is so badly needed, but first let me introduce myself.

My name is Stacey and I initiated this campaign to raise funds to open a Residential Reentry Program for women. Given the wealth of resources available to residents of Massachusetts and the City of Boston it is hard to understand why there is currently no facility that offers transitional housing and comprehensive services to assist WOMEN in their transition back into the community. It is my goal to help the women of Massachusetts and Boston in particular who are being released from the prison system, by providing the tools and resources to successfully reenter society and reduce the recidivism rate.

One might ask, "What inspired me to embark on this journey"?

In 2010, I was released from prison which I entered with a history of drug addiction and which I was currently using drugs I was very LUCKY upon my release, If it were not for the love and support of my family, I wouldn't have been able to successfully confront the societal challenges outside of the prison system. Once released, I continued my journey to remain drug free and to change the direction of my life by engaging in therapy and behavioral management.

You can read my story here; http://scoutcambridge.com/rescouted-life-lessons/.  

 



While in prison, I developed a passion to assist women in overcoming their most challenging issues after being released from prison, and before their behavior in criminal activities began, issues that brought them indirectly to the prison system. I say "indirectly" because I would suggest that the majority of women were unable to channel their traumas in a positive manner.

With a promise I made to myself and to the women left behind who are being released from their prison sentences with untreated trauma.  I developed this non-profit organization (New Beginnings Reentry Services Inc.)  to reduce the percentage of almost 87% of women who are released from prison (non-violent offenders) who are susceptible to return to prison because there are no valuable resources to assist them upon release; recidivism is at an all-time high!  The trauma that they have experienced in life that is at the core of their criminal activity remains untreated and will carry them back to the prison system unless that trajectory is interrupted.  New Beginnings Reentry Services is that barrier.

This fund raising campaign is vital; the funds that are raised will be used to purchase property at-cost or less from either a public or private entity that supports NBRES moving forward.

Our goal is to allocate approximately $500,000 of the acquisition of a property with facilities to host approximately 15 women and for the creation of the direct service Residential Program. This facility will house the women as well as provide them with educational services on an ongoing basis.

 Discussions have begun with respected and established Boston agencies to provide services on site to the women as well as to accept the women into the programs being offered at their program locations.

In assisting women reenter society, the organization will provide best-practice, evidence-based curriculum to help with reducing recidivism. Services provided will include-

Pathways to Success

Case Management and Care Planning
Medication Review
Mental Health Evaluation Treatment
Life Skills Building
Individual Counseling and Expressive Therapies
Helping Women Recognize and Avoid Domestic Violence
Family Reunification
Job Readiness Training
Housing Advocacy
Relapse Prevention for Substance Abuse
Trauma Recovery
 Arranging Community Based Support Services
In addition to working with personal counselors to develop skills learned through the practice of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as exploring other therapies such as Psycho-Drama and Expressive Therapy.

We believe that the benefit of transforming trauma through dramatic arts will allow the women to actively participate in discovering the core of their talent, vocalizing their traumatic experiences in a creative, healing manner, and build their self-esteem and self-worth.   

PLEASE ~ WE ASK YOU ~

Help Us Stop: School to Prison Pipeline!

Let Us Start: Being Released from Prison to School!