Anger is a tool for change when it challenges us to become more of an expert on the self and less of an expert on others.
- Harriet Lerner |
We are a 501(c)(3) charity and all donations are tax deductible
Formerly and Currently Incarcerated People
This page is loaded with links for folks in transition.
There are a lot of links on this page, and links to other pages, too. We include tons of information because reentry is different for every person.
The shift is a big one, but please remember: many of our most highly treasured stories are redemption stories!
For those of you who are currently incarcerated and have access to Corrlinks, please sign up for our newsletter: [email protected].
This page is also for Family, Friends, Advocates, Non-Profits, Ministry, Case Managers, and everyone who is supports people through the transition!
In a hurry today? You can print the Fair Shake flyers, plus add a state resource list, for a total of 5 pages (one stamp!) to send to folks preparing for release: Fair Shake flyers
Employment
Looking for information to help you find a job? Check out our Find A Job page!
If you’re getting ready to apply or interview, check out our Prepare For Work page!
Housing Search
Transitional Housing is supportive housing that helps fight the homeless problem in today’s society. Transitional housing is generally for a limited time period. Stays can be from two weeks to twenty four months. https://www.transitionalhousing.org/
They provide an online directory of shelters in cities where they found help for those needing shelter. https://www.shelterlist.com/
Low Income Housing: Find affordable rentals & housing options for low income families and individuals. https://www.lowincomehousing.us
National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens
National Reentry Helpline: 844-916-2577
2-1-1
A FREE national resource service available by phone or internet to help folks in need find resources they seek 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They list resources for food, shelter, employment, education, housing, mental and physical health, specific services for veterans, special needs and reentry, a safe path out of physical and/or emotional abuse. A service of United Way. www.211.org
Find Help
https://company.findhelp.com
America’s leading social care network, which features more than 300,000 human-verified programs that provide help to millions of people across the country.
Fair Shake Resource Directory
Find food, employ
ment training, free stuff, housing, health care, family support, more than 12,000 resources and 450 reentry publications and links in our FREE Resource Directory!
New to Computers?
Need help with your computer skills? Learn
more about using your computer on our
Building Computer Skills page!
Keep your documents safe(ish) in the cloud!
Banking
Created specifically for people who have been incarcerated. The website says “We offer FREE bank accounts with debit cards to EVERYONE no matter what you did in your past. No fees (incl. no overdraft fees). No minimum balance. FRSH is forcing individuals to move from awareness to responsibility, to action. ”
Check them out here: myfrsh.com/banking
myFRSH, LLC
14555 Dallas Pkwy, #100
Dallas, TX 75254
Operation HOPE has a series of programs to support your path to improving your credit, reducing debet, increasing savings, buying a home or starting a business. Our programs and services, which serve youth and adults, are offered at no cost to you.
Operation HOPE
91 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 3840
Atlanta, GA 30303
888-388-HOPE (4673)
InCharge offers a free credit counseling service that provides help with budgeting, solutions for becoming debt free and tips to successfully manage your money. The goal of credit counseling is to provide a solution that helps you achieve debt relief and get on a financially healthy path. The service can be done over the phone or online.
* Lower your interest rates
* Reduce monthly payments
* Credit scores are not a factor
* Eliminate fees and over-limit charges
* Stop harassing calls from debt collectors
* Consolidate credit bills into one monthly payment
* Build a realistic budget and financial plan you can follow
InCharge Debt Solutions
5750 Major Blvd, Suite 300
Orlando, FL 32819 https://www.incharge.org/
Vital Documents
Social Security
Reentering The Community After Incarceration
Social Security Card
This is the ss-5 form.
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
social-security-card-form-ss-5.pdf
Write For Vital Records – All States
Certificates of Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
DMV Request Outline:
There are many reasons you may wish to write to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to request relief. Perhaps you have very old parking tickets, or your license was suspended, et al. You may find some leniency from the DMV to help you drive again, especially to get to work. This form has been created by folks in the FCI Sandstone Career Resource Center and is meant to be used as a template or outline for you to use to create your own.
Tax FAQ’s from the IRS
Improve Your Financial Outlook!
Check out the Money Management page!!
Get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit reporting company. Ensure that the information on all of your credit reports is correct and up to date!
Wherever you are on your financial journey, you can prepare yourself to make informed financial decisions with these resources.
Educate Yourself!
Need more math skills? Concerned
about your grammar? Looking to
pick up more knowledge or skills?
Visit our Educate Yourself! page.
Financial Aid
Federal Student Aid Information Center
P.O. Box 84
Washington, D.C. 20044
1-800-433-3243
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/
A NOTE ABOUT PELL GRANTS
From the US Dept. of Education: The Department intends to implement the legislative changes to allow eligible students in college-in-prison programs to access federal Pell Grants beginning on July 1, 2023. Federal Pell Grants are usually awarded only to undergraduate students
Education not found in school:
The School of Life explores unconventional education to assist people in the quest for a more fulfilled life.
Watch the introduction video here ->
Here are some topics we thought might interest you:
Self: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpckOvZZ_AZjD7WM2p9-6NBv
Relationships: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpcEwc0qydf2jSszQFSht81E
Work + Capitalism: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpehnfQOa4c0E7j3GIj4qFEj
You can find more on the School of Life on the Educate Yourself page!
Fair Shake Ownership Manual
Our Reentry Ownership Manual is loaded with reentry information including tools and materials for building bridges of transformation and trust.
Individual Pages in the Packet
https://www.fairshake.net/reentry-resources/reentry-packet/
Fair Shake “Inside” Newsletter
Sign up at [email protected]
Looking for Books?
Check out our Free Books Programs page!
Mental and Physical Health
Visit the Building Mental Strength! Page
https://www.fairshake.net/swellness/
Physical Health Page (just getting started!)
FREE INSURANCE: Parks Insurance offers free insurance for returning citizens as they start to navigate the world and life after incarceration. https://parksinsured.com/forms/
HelpYourselfTherapy.com is a website that offers free, confidential, practical advice from a therapist. The Self-Therapy model is easy to understand and self-disclosure is never needed. Everything is completely confidential. Click on the link below to view the list of topics from the website.
For Veterans – Check out the Veteran’s Page!
https://www.fairshake.net/veterans-page/
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
The veteran
s’ page was created to assist veterans who have been Incarcerated as well as their families. The programs and resources on this page can help reduce the pressures associated with reentry. Our hope is that you will find these resources helpful in providing relief as you face the challenges of finding and supporting an effective way of life after incarceration.Thank you for your service to our country.
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) was established to meet the needs of veterans during their period of transition into civilian life by offering job-search assistance and related services. The guide books below were created specifically to support you by applying considerations from your service life to your job seeking. Check in with your local TAP program to find out about jobs that are available near you. To locate your local support office, click on this link: http://www.benefits.va.gov/vow/tap.asp
Personal Appraisal & Career Exploration
For Parents
It’s important to stay connected!
Parenting Beyond Prison – Resources for Incarcerated Parents & their Families – Nationwide! 2024
Children of Incarcerated Parents – Bill of Rights
Children of Incarcerated Parents’ Library
Biblioteca sobre niños de presos
Sesame Street: On Incarceration
Little Children, Big Challenges
Can you change your child support order?
State by State Guide Changing a Child Support Order
Become a Fair Shake Member!
- Personal Web Page
- Data Storage
- Save your Resources
- Tutorials
Become a Member, It’s FREE!
Housing
We receive very little housing information, especially on a national scale. Recently, however, the two-part document came to us from a HUD representative. So began my attempt to connect you to HUD.
Two Part Reentry HUD Housing Request
Since HUD does not offer any documents (that I could find) of their locations (the book does not even offer office locations, only links and email addresses) please ask your people outside to investigate further.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W.,
Washington, DC 20410
Telephone: (202) 708-1112
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD
HUD Programs
- Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Program
- HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) Program
- Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) at HUD
- Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) at Benefits.gov
- Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP)
- Public Housing Programs
- Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program
- Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
Looking to get an Interstate Compact?
Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS)
https://www.interstatecompact.org/
According to the ICAOS website: “The Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision will guide the transfer of returning citizens in a manner that promotes effective supervision strategies consistent with public safety, accountability, and victims’ rights.”
Here are two documents that can help you get started:
Voting Rights
Voting rights vary from state to state. In two states, Maine and Vermont, incarcerated people can vote in prison. In all other states people in prison lose their voting rights all together. Voting rights are automatically reinstated at various times throughout the completion of the sentence. There are no longer any states with a lifetime voting ban!
According to The Sentencing Project: Felony disenfranchisement (the loss of voting and other civil rights) is an obstacle to participation in democratic life which is exacerbated by racial disparities in the criminal justice system (and creates) a disproportionate impact on communities of color.
To find out more, please visit The Sentencing Project:
Voting in Jails:
https://www.sentencingproject.org/policy-brief/voting-in-jails/
Disenfranchisement:
https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/locked-out-2022-estimates-of-people-denied-voting-rights/
PREPARING FOR PAROLE?
You might want to consider the info in these
Parole Board Handbooks
Ohio Parole Board Handbook 2017
New Parole Board member (State, Federal, and Military) handbook
Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction
Collateral consequences are legal and regulatory sanctions and restrictions that limit or prohibit people with criminal records from accessing employment, occupational licensing, housing, voting, education, and other opportunities.of a criminal conviction…. This state / national resource is now a project of the Council of State Governments.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005-2014)
Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Authors Page
We’ve created this page to showcase literary accomplishments of the incarcerated and formerly Incarcerated authors. In support of these individuals and all successful transitions, we have vetted and recommended the books on our Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Authors page at: https://www.fairshake.net/incarcerated-and-formerly-incarcerated-authors-page/