Thursday morning at 11:30, WIZS TownTalk will conduct a live interview with Cedrick Swinson of New Start. He is the Peer Support Leader. He works with formerly incarcerated people and their families to execute plans for school, housing and the gathering of other resources to successfully re-enter society from prison. He told WIZS News that the biggest barriers are employment and a place to live.
— information below provided by the South Atlantic Family Resource Center New Start Program
The focus of this initiative is to assist high crime, high poverty communities to address the full range of challenges involved in helping formerly incarcerated adults who have been involved in the adult justice system make successful transitions back to the community. The intent of this initiative is to protect community safety by ensuring that these individuals:
- Become productive, responsible and law-abiding members of society;
- Are provided with positive opportunities to engage in pro-social activities such as employment and/or education;
- Maintain long employment;
- Sustain a stable residence; and
- Successfully address their substance abuse issues and mental health needs, as applicable, through partnerships with local programs.
Eligibility Requirements
An adult is eligible to participate in a program funded through New Start program if that individual, on the date of enrollment:
- Is 25 years of age or older;
- Has never been convicted of a sex crime other than prostitution;
- Was previously incarcerated and released within 180 days; or
- Is currently under supervision (i.e. confined in a correctional facility with release date within 6 months, residing in a residential reentry center, on electronic monitoring or home-based monitoring, or enrolled in a jail-based work release center.
Discretion is granted to enroll individuals convicted of violent offenses or assessed as high risk.
Priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program funded in whole or part by DOL.