The City of Birmingham has announced a one-year pilot program to assist ex-offenders when they are released from prison.

Birmingham partnered with organizations to form The Birmingham Re-entry Alliance to serve those released from state prisons.

“We believe that those who have paid their debt to society deserve the same basic living essentials of housing and gainful employment as any of us,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin.

“Together, with our partners, we plan to support them in returning into a welcoming community. We are committed to decreasing their recidivism and increasing their restoration.”

Each year, hundreds of men and women are released from Alabama state prisons and return home to Birmingham. Many of them end up living on the streets or in dangerous situations. The pilot program will provide housing, case management, and other services for 30 to 50 ex-inmates in the first year.

“It’s wishful thinking to expect people leaving prison with no resources, and no safe place to sleep or shower to safely find their way to a good job and affordable housing,” said Carla Crowder, executive director of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a legal non-profit that assisted in the creation of the Alliance.

“Thankfully, the City of Birmingham and this committed group of partners understand that wishful thinking is not creating public safety and stability for our community. But the services and case management envisioned by this Alliance will.”

Participants will enroll as soon as they leave state prison, either through parole, mandatory early release, or at the end of their sentence. A case manager will guide them through the available services to meet their needs for up to one year.

“Having a strong, healthy supportive structure in place, and resources readily available is a vital component for a successful transition from incarceration,” says Dena Dickerson, Chief Operating Officer at the Offender Alumni Association, a justice-impacted, peer-led non-profit that does intense peer navigation and support work.

“Re-entry looks different for everyone. We look at the whole person while working with individuals from a person-centered place and wrapping services around them, in real-time has been our re-entry navigation model. We are grateful that the City of Birmingham and the partners here believe in investing in people.”

This pilot is being funded with $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and $100,000 from the Regions Foundation. The Alliance Partners include:

· Offender Alumni Association, providing peer support

· Salvation Army, offering job training and workforce development

· Community on the Rise, assisting with identification and government documents

· Hope Inspired Ministries, providing life skills training and job placement

· Jimmie Hale Mission, offering its Reclaiming Hope Program

· Aletheia House, providing substance use treatment services

· Alabama Regional Medical Services, offering healthcare

· Canterbury United Methodist Church, developing welcome home starter kits

· Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD), providing housing vouchers

For more information, go to https://www.bhmreentry.org/.