Rebuilding Lives. Strengthening Communities.

Reforms with Citywide Impact
Design and conduct a comprehensive awareness and outreach
campaign.
Recommendation
Issue
Former prisoners reenter Chicago neighborhoods on a
daily basis, typically with little planning, counsel or
support. This affects the individuals themselves, their
neighbors and the community at large. Yet there is almost
no public discussion of this fact.
When the topic of crime does come up, people do not
often think about the problems that society or their
particular neighborhood might face concerning formerly
incarcerated individuals, nor do they voice concern about
how returning prisoners are treated or whether they
would be able to rebuild their lives. The issues are
unfamiliar and perhaps controversial. Rather, people talk
about vandalism, or the disastrous effect of drugs and
gangs in their community. Pushed further, people may
sometimes just reflect back what they see or hear in the
media. And sometimes, unfortunately, their perspective is
colored by stigma and fear. There are general misconceptions
about prisons and jails and the individuals released
from these institutions.
When it comes to creating effective and durable pathways
for successful reentry, one of the greatest challenges is the
public’s perception, knowledge and engagement. It is a
threshold hurdle. While former prisoners must learn to
act responsibly, the community must be strong enough—
and willing enough—to give them the opportunity to do
so. Communities as a whole, and the residents within
them, need to appreciate the importance of reentry issues
and take a proactive stance to address them.
MAYORAL POLICY CAUCUS ON PRISONER REENTRY
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