Exodus Homes Presents at White House National Summit on Prisoner Reentry
11/25/07
White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
National Summit on Prisoner Reentry
The Westin St. Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
On November 27-28, 2007 the White House and the Departments of Labor and Justice will host the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives National Summit on Prisoner Reentry. On November 28, Exodus Homes will be presenting as one of three transitional housing programs whose excellence has catapulted them into the national spotlight as models for replication in other communities. The faith-based United Way agency provides 85 beds of supportive housing in ten locations in Hickory, and was one of three grassroots organizations that helped Hickory win All America City in June 2007. Exodus will co-present with The Next Door of Nashville, and The Corporation for Supportive Housing with sites all over the country. Susan Smith, Assistant Executive Director for the agency will represent Exodus Homes as she did last July at the White House. Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Executive Director says "We are honored to present our program in this first national summit, and hope other communities will come together as we have here in Catawba County to help individuals successfully reenter society from prison."
President Bush has placed unprecedented priority on breaking the tragic cycle of recidivism. In announcing his Prisoner Reentry Initiative, he stated in his 2004 State of the Union Address -- “America is the land of the Second Chance, and when the gates of prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” Over the course of the two-day summit, experts and innovators in the field will explore together the latest data, original research, and promising models for combating recidivism and joblessness among the formerly incarcerated.
Each year more than 650,000 inmates are released from Federal and State prisons and return to their communities and families. Addressing the tremendous human needs associated with recidivism requires that Federal, state, and local decision-makers partner with nongovernmental organizations—for-profit and nonprofit, faith-based and secular—to promote jobs, transitional housing, education, substance abuse treatment, positive mentoring relationships, and other valuable transitional services. The N.C. Department of Correction says that 74% of people leaving prison are reincarcerated within 3 years. A recent study of individuals served in the Exodus Homes program from 1998 - 2004 show a dramatic decrease in recidivism. Of the 222 residents with a history of incarceration who had been discharged by December 31, 2004, only 29% had been reincarcerated to date. This remarkable study shows that Exodus Homes has decreased the recidivism rate for individuals with a history of incarceration by 45%.
Ms. Smith will be presenting on the synergistic working relationship between Exodus Homes, Exodus Missionary Outreach Church, Catawba Prison Ministries, and the community in "The Exodus Movement". Of primary interest to the national audience will be the fact that Exodus Homes is primarily funded and operated by its residents, with only 9% of its annual budget coming from federal sources, as well as community support with numerous creative partnerships. The most unique feature of the Exodus Homes program is the development of permanent supportive housing in the midst of the transitional program with small group living in apartments and houses that helps reduce crime in neighborhoods. Hickory Police Department statistics show that Exodus has reduced crime in the Ridgeview, Green Park, and Kenworth neighborhoods. The City of Hickory, the Hickory Police Department and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments all contributed to the development of the Exodus presentation for the Summit.
Ms. Smith leaves for Los Angeles on Monday 11/26, and will return Thursday 11/29. She will be sending a Special Report from the summit to the media via e-mail on the afternoon of 11/28 after her presentation. For more information, you can contact her on her mobile phone at 828-962-8196 or at susansmith@charter.net.
The Westin St. Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
On November 27-28, 2007 the White House and the Departments of Labor and Justice will host the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives National Summit on Prisoner Reentry. On November 28, Exodus Homes will be presenting as one of three transitional housing programs whose excellence has catapulted them into the national spotlight as models for replication in other communities. The faith-based United Way agency provides 85 beds of supportive housing in ten locations in Hickory, and was one of three grassroots organizations that helped Hickory win All America City in June 2007. Exodus will co-present with The Next Door of Nashville, and The Corporation for Supportive Housing with sites all over the country. Susan Smith, Assistant Executive Director for the agency will represent Exodus Homes as she did last July at the White House. Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Executive Director says "We are honored to present our program in this first national summit, and hope other communities will come together as we have here in Catawba County to help individuals successfully reenter society from prison."
President Bush has placed unprecedented priority on breaking the tragic cycle of recidivism. In announcing his Prisoner Reentry Initiative, he stated in his 2004 State of the Union Address -- “America is the land of the Second Chance, and when the gates of prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” Over the course of the two-day summit, experts and innovators in the field will explore together the latest data, original research, and promising models for combating recidivism and joblessness among the formerly incarcerated.
Each year more than 650,000 inmates are released from Federal and State prisons and return to their communities and families. Addressing the tremendous human needs associated with recidivism requires that Federal, state, and local decision-makers partner with nongovernmental organizations—for-profit and nonprofit, faith-based and secular—to promote jobs, transitional housing, education, substance abuse treatment, positive mentoring relationships, and other valuable transitional services. The N.C. Department of Correction says that 74% of people leaving prison are reincarcerated within 3 years. A recent study of individuals served in the Exodus Homes program from 1998 - 2004 show a dramatic decrease in recidivism. Of the 222 residents with a history of incarceration who had been discharged by December 31, 2004, only 29% had been reincarcerated to date. This remarkable study shows that Exodus Homes has decreased the recidivism rate for individuals with a history of incarceration by 45%.
Ms. Smith will be presenting on the synergistic working relationship between Exodus Homes, Exodus Missionary Outreach Church, Catawba Prison Ministries, and the community in "The Exodus Movement". Of primary interest to the national audience will be the fact that Exodus Homes is primarily funded and operated by its residents, with only 9% of its annual budget coming from federal sources, as well as community support with numerous creative partnerships. The most unique feature of the Exodus Homes program is the development of permanent supportive housing in the midst of the transitional program with small group living in apartments and houses that helps reduce crime in neighborhoods. Hickory Police Department statistics show that Exodus has reduced crime in the Ridgeview, Green Park, and Kenworth neighborhoods. The City of Hickory, the Hickory Police Department and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments all contributed to the development of the Exodus presentation for the Summit.
Ms. Smith leaves for Los Angeles on Monday 11/26, and will return Thursday 11/29. She will be sending a Special Report from the summit to the media via e-mail on the afternoon of 11/28 after her presentation. For more information, you can contact her on her mobile phone at 828-962-8196 or at susansmith@charter.net.