For People Just Out of Prison; Birmingham, Partners Launch Novel Re-Entry Program

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times In an extraordinary show of collaboration, more than a dozen area partners, including the City of Birmingham, on Wednesday launched a one-year re-entry pilot program to transform how the city serves people released from state prisons. With a focus on quality housing and gainful employment, the Birmingham Re-entry Alliance will provide case management, and other services for 30-50 individuals in the inaugural year. Prospective participants will enroll as soon as they leave state prison, either through parole, mandatory early release, or at the end of their sentence. “We believe that those who have paid their debt to society deserve the same basic living essentials of housing and gainful employment as any of us,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “Together, with our partners, we plan to support them in returning into a welcoming community. We are committed to decreasing their recidivism and increasing their restoration.” The pilot is being funded with $100,000 from the Regions Foundation; $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and supported by diverse groups that include the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a legal non-profit that assisted in the creation of the Alliance; Offender Alumni Association,...