Criminal Justice
Innovation
& Second-Chance
Employment
It’s no secret that the US is facing a crisis in its prison system: the prison population is the largest in the world, and by a significant majority. The reasons for this are diverse, complex, and in many cases, embedded in a history of systemic racism. And the repercussions on every family who has a loved one with a record, and every community who has lost out on the gifts and skills of that individual are profound.
The need for significant criminal justice reform isn’t new. Nor are the solutions. But in light of the national awareness and dialogue that was sparked in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May, 2020, the opportunity for change has never been stronger. This change needs to happen from several angles, including reducing the school-to-prison pipeline, making changes to the law itself, investing in alternative solutions to prison time, supporting folks as they prepare to return to the community, and reducing recidivism by supporting employers in evolving their policies so they can employ a larger percentage of this population.
This change will be slow-moving. And with every step, it is gaining momentum. Along the way, it is unlocking a brighter future for our fellow community members and their families from coast to coast.
Above banner photo courtesy of FreeWorld
Impact
Partners
Meet the incredible organizations that we are supporting. Each is creating a meaningful impact in its own way. We hope you will spend time learning more about the ones that speak to you.
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FreeWorld’s mission is to end generational poverty and recidivism. They help formerly incarcerated people get high-wage jobs so they can thrive on their own terms. With a newfound sense of stability, prison remains a memory for FreeWorld graduates. Jason Green is a founding board member.
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Jason’s close friend Matt Mochary started coaching formerly incarcerated men on how to find jobs. He discovered trucking was an ideal vocation that was in high demand and easy to learn. The results were astounding. They decided to start a non-profit to scale this initiative and recruited an amazing leader, Jason Wang, formerly incarcerated himself, to scale this organization. We’re proud to say that, as of October 2023, they have over 836 graduates, 85 percent of whom have been placed into a career within one month of graduation. We hope to expand to thousands in the next few years under Jason’s leadership.
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Recidiviz is a team of technologists committed to getting decision-makers – from policymakers and corrections leaders to individual probation and parole officers – the data they need to drive better criminal justice outcomes.
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We are so impressed with the approach that Clementine Jacoby and the team at Recidiviz are taking to help folks return to the community. Instead of lobbying to change the system, they’ve identified a clear need with in the complex prison system in the US that they can fix right now: integrated data systems to help officials make timely, informed decisions. Within the next five years, they seek to directly remove 100,000 people from the criminal justice system safely and we are proud to help them achieve this ambitious goal.
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Freedom Reads is a first-of-its-kind organization bringing libraries to people in prison so that they can transform hopelessness into possibility. They bring beautifully handcrafted 500-book libraries into prison, and by doing so, bring hope and possibility to serving their sentences. To date they have built more than 200 Freedom Libraries in 33 prisons and juvenile detention facilities, serving more than 25,000 library patrons.
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Freedom Reads sits at the unique intersection of several areas of interest to the Greenbridge team: our deep commitment to criminal justice innovation, supporting organizations whose leaders have proximate experience, and English literature (Ann is pursuing her Ph.D. on this topic). We are very impressed with their founder & CEO, Reginald Dwayne Betts, and the organization’s commitment to equity of access to their resources: they seek not to provide just one library per prison but per housing unit within the prison.
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They prepare incarcerated individuals in Rhode Island for the workforce, equipping a traditionally underserved population with the skills, self-confidence, and support they need to successfully transition to long-term employment and productive life in the community.
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While they are a small program based only in Rhode Island, they have designed a unique program that provides skills and support to individuals while they are in prison and, through the input of participants, has recently launched a re-entry program to support program participants in using their newfound skills as they re-establish their relationships and network in the community.
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OpenDoors is the first and the largest organization in Rhode Island dedicated to helping people who have been in prison. They offer re-entry planning services to incarcerated individuals in prison and people with criminal records.
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Part of what drew us to OpenDoors is their commitment to building an organization that represents those they seek to serve: over three-quarters of staff, including the management team, have experience with overcoming incarceration or addiction, and the agency continues to develop the leadership skills of those who know from personal experience how important this issue is. While they will work with anyone seeking support, they are leaning into the unique needs of women as they return to the community, which was of particular interest.
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They provide low-interest loans and financial coaching to formerly incarcerated people, helping them build credit and achieve their self-determined goals. The Fountain Fund also advocates for public policy that increases economic opportunities and reduces obstacles for formerly incarcerated people.
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We chose to support the Fountain Fund because they are the only charity exclusively dedicated to providing loans to individuals who have been justice-involved, demonstrating a unique and essential commitment to an underserved population. Their emphasis on building strong, supportive relationships with participants and their extensive firsthand experience within the organization showcase a genuine dedication to setting individuals up for long-term success, aligning with our belief that no one should be defined by their worst mistakes.
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Paws for Life combines two areas that we are passionate about - helping save animals and giving people second chances to make a positive difference. They have a number of innovative programs to transform the lives of both animals and formerly incarcerated people. One measurable result of their impact, over 43 Paws For Life participants have had their sentences commuted due to good behavior, most of whom were serving life-sentences.
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In January 2023, Jason and Kim were visiting Lancaster Prison and had the chance to see the Paws for Life Prison Program in action. The housing facility that hosts the program was buzzing with purpose and activity. The men were motivated and active – collaborating on the training programs for various dogs that were working through a six-week behavior training program. We left knowing that we had witnessed a very special program – both for the rescue dogs and the men training them.
Explore Our Other Initiatives
Empowering Women & Children
Bridging the Educational & Opportunity Gap
Supporting a Thriving Democracy
Protecting the Environment
Mental Health
Additional Impact Partners