“Because of this group, I see more allies because I know the people in this group better. I am not the only one in the room”
“[GPD] helped me remember that narratives matter. When we don’t give people one, then they will fill it in. Our conversations have helped me shape my narrative that I can speak my truth”
At a Glance
“Reentry Rising MKE”, a project led by Employ Milwaukee, aimed to address the health and life outcomes of individuals returning to the community after incarceration. Recognizing that returning citizens face overwhelming challenges such as housing insecurity, employment discrimination and poor health outcomes, the project sought to build a person-centered reentry system rooted in equity and care. Through community-based research, reentry simulations and facilitated dialogues, the project engaged individuals in conversations to better understand and address the systemic barriers to successful reentry.
The Challenge
Each year, thousands of individuals are released from Wisconsin State Prisons, with the majority returning to the City of Milwaukee. These returning citizens face overwhelming barriers to successful reintegration into society. Most find that their criminal record limits their access to employment, housing and social support systems. Health disparities are evident in this population, as incarceration tends to worsen preexisting health conditions and formerly incarcerated individuals are at a much higher risk of death, suicide and untreated behavioral health needs in the first weeks following release. For Black men, who make up a disproportionate share of Wisconsin’s prison population, the structural challenges of reentry intersect with racial health inequities. Without a coordinated system of care and support, these individuals often cycle back into the justice system.
Project Goals
Employ Milwaukee aimed to create a community-based, coordinated continuity of care model for reentry. Key project goals included:
Developing a coordinated reentry network of community providers, workforce experts and justice system stakeholders;
Increasing provider capacity to deliver services tailored to the unique needs of returning citizens;
Enhancing referral systems and communication between corrections, health care and community-based organizations;
Centering the lived experiences of returning citizens to identify service gaps and inform system improvements;
Applying evidence-based models, such as the Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies (IRES) framework, to ensure services are effectively matched to individual needs.
Results
This project engaged over 650 participants through interviews and focus groups to better understand how structural racism, housing instability, employment discrimination and stigma impacted reentry. Due to pandemic-related delays and an extended IRB approval process, the project shifted its focus to center trust-building and authentic engagement, which led to a deeper understanding of the complexity of reentry.
Through the development and facilitation of reentry simulations and the Gray Purposeful Dialogue (GPD) model, the project successfully educated service providers, employers and policymakers about the real-world challenges faced by returning citizens. These tools sparked conversations around systemic racism and encouraged stakeholders to reevaluate workplace practices. Participants described a shift in perspective, with several noting the importance of centering the dignity and humanity of formerly incarcerated individuals in their work. In particular, GPD helped participants recognize how systems of punishment continue to marginalize Black and Brown people even after release from incarceration.
One of the most powerful outcomes of the project was the recognition that formerly incarcerated individuals must be treated not only as research subjects but as co-researchers and co-creators of solutions. This shift in approach strengthened recruitment efforts, improved trust with participants and highlighted the need for structural investment in long-term reentry strategies.
Looking to the Future
While this project identified challenges to sustainability and replication, including the need for funding to train skilled facilitators and support participants whose employers may not initially back their involvement, groundwork was laid for future expansion. Plans are underway to build out a facilitator network that advocates for further adoption of reentry simulation models.
Lasting Impact
By centering the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals – particularly Black men disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system – the project reframed reentry as not just a criminal justice issue or an employment issue, but a public health and equity issue. The grant leaves behind a more compassionate and equity-driven vision for reentry – one that affirms the dignity of returning citizens and seeks to create lasting changes in the systems that shape their well-being.
