Student-reentrants preparing for release, every one of them serious about living a new and better life, have been hand picked to take our Career Pathway Workshop course, and each will be teamed with a mentor. Meanwhile, 2nd Chance Indiana will follow their progress as well as any bumps in the road to assess the success of this wrap-around effort. But, if you wonder why we have the GIF from the 80's movie "The Blues Brothers," it's because brothers Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) were "on a Mission from God!" The point is: We too are on a mission to do assigned work to help people who need a hand up that can positively affect the lives of generations of Hoosiers.

Have you been a parent? A manager? A friend? You can do this! Ask all the questions you want! Here's where to start... To learn more, call Mckenzie Hampton at 317-985-5041 ext.2, email her at mhampton@trustedmentors.org, or to volunteer NOW, Click Here.

PICTURED:( LtoR) Trusted Mentors Costeena Weathersby, standing, and Elsa Bueno; 2CI's Jim Cotterill, Tyler Carlson, Scott Whiting, and Sherry Jackson; TM's Jen Englert, McKenzie Hampton, and Stephen Pepper. Not pictured, Ladessa Sparks

LOTS OF OPTIONS:

Transportation Talk With Project.ME Recovery Hub

To help people in recovery, Aisha Diss, the Executive Director of Project.ME, met with 2nd Chance Indiana's Molly Oliver and Stephanie Emrie to discuss the potential ways to collaborate to help their clients get to and from work, because many do not have reliable .

Project.ME is a recovery hub based in Allen County that supports people with substance abuse issues by removing barriers through peer support, harm reduction services, and community education. They offer certified coaching, overdose intervention, Narcan training, and community referrals for housing, food, and more.

Transportation service to and from work has a profound effect on job retention and it provides a foundation on which to build a solid future. Both organizations are enthusiastic about further collaboration and the potential to better serve those in need through meaningful assistance and resources–like the basic need of transportation. 

PHOTO: Top Left to Bottom: 2nd Chance Indiana's Director of Transportation, Molly Oliver; 2CI's Transportation Coordinator, Stephanie Emrie; Aisha Diss, Project.ME Executive Director

BIG, NO HUGE HIT!

Career Planning Workshop Works For Inmates & IDOC

As 2nd Chance Indiana embarks on a special inmate education effort with the Indiana Department Of Correction and Marion County Adult Detention Center, both corrections personnel and inmates are reporting high ratings on the training that is being given. We recently graduated 16 hand-picked people who are ready for a better life after release, who all left evaluations that were similar to the one pictured here. Our constant thanks to 2nd Chance Indiana's Director of Training, Doug Evans, whose heart and soul is aimed at helping these men and women make it back to their families with a job, an income and the knowledge that many are for them and not against them. (Loved the comment: "Instructors are awesome!" We agree!)



SUCH A THING AS COMMON SENSE?

Compassionate Release & The Money It Would Save

As of 2022, there were more people serving life sentences in the U.S. than the entire prison population in 1970. And, the proportion of state and federal prisoners who are 55 or older is now five times what it was three decades ago. In Indiana, the cost for a healthy inmate is in excess of $28,000 per year, but the cost for a debilitated elderly inmate could be more than $100,000 per year according to studies. Even if we don't care about the human factor or the continued imprisonment of elderly and ill people, the bottom line is: Incarcerating aging prisoners is expensive. One report says it is as much as nine times the cost of housing younger inmates, and because of this, both state and federal lawmakers are thinking more seriously about releasing elderly prisoners through compassionate release. Read Nancy's Post Here!

DEDICATED IN HIS HONOR:

"Pastor Frank Alexander Memorial Way"

Pastor Frank Alexander, who headed Oasis of Hope Baptist Church for 40 years, passed away on November 12, 2024. For over half a century, he was a strong leader in Indianapolis, and especially in the Black community, where he shepherded many into church leadership and headed Edna Martin Christian Center during critical growing years.

His wife, Shirley, volunteered with 2nd Chance Indiana in the early days to organize "Serving the Servants" meetings to give support to pastors in the urban community here. Many of us are blessed to have made the friendship of both Shirley and Frank. To honor his memory, hundreds recently gathered to remember Pastor Alexander as a stretch of East 25th Street was renamed in his honor. New signage reads, "Pastor Frank Alexander Memorial Way." Read about his incredible work Here! Watch the event Here!

PICTURED Top: The new Street Sign in honor of Pastor Alexander, and Bottom: Pastor Frank and 2CI founder, Jim Cotterill in 2017 at a 2nd Chance Indiana 'Serving the Servants" event.