Expanding Reentry Services to the Space Coast

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, “formerly incarcerated people are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public.” Lacking adequate access to stable housing means people are disconnected from their communities, unlikely to be hired or retain a job, and therefore are far more likely to return to incarceration. This has been called the “homelessness-jail cycle.” Approximately 68% of formerly incarcerated people are rearrested within 3 years according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism.

Florida has the 3rd largest incarcerated population in the U.S. and 95% of all state prisoners will be released. Therefore, there is a great need for reentry programs like ours to help people rebuild their lives, become self-sufficient, keep our communities safe, and reduce the amount taxpayers spend on incarceration. To meet the needs of the thousands of people who return home every month from Florida’s jails and prisons, it is critical that we continue providing mental health counseling, transitional housing, vocational training, and job placement to ensure they become self-sufficient and not recidivate. Operation New Hope continues to expand our Statewide Reentry Network to serve more.