Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Missouri has signed on as the first Reentry 2030 State! In partnership with The Council of State Governments Justice Center and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Missouri Department of Corrections plans to work with public and private partners to support incarcerated people in finding and maintaining employment upon release.
Their goals include the following:
- 100% of incarcerated Missourians who need career services receive them.
- 85% of incarcerated Missourians are employed within 30 days of release.
- 80% of formerly incarcerated Missourians maintain their employment for at least nine months after release.
At the launch event, the Missouri Department of Corrections and other state and local agencies and community organizations committed to partnering to drive the success of this initiative. Attendees heard from two people with lived experience in the criminal justice system who spoke about the importance of the support they received upon reentering their communities.
“I’m so excited that we’re to the point of reimagining reentry instead of continuing what we always have done. We’re challenging the status quo. I’m so proud of the support in Missouri to make our communities better,” said Anne Precythe, director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Governor Mike Parson was also in attendance and offered his support for Reentry 2030.
“We’ve become the first state to initiate this—to say we care, and we’re really going to make a difference,” said Governor Mike Parson.