Pathway to Kinship: Reentry and economic equality for formerly incarcerated community members

Income inequality

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Pathway to Kinship serves currently and formerly incarcerated community members in California, recognizing the immense barriers to equity our communities face upon reentry. According to a recent study from the BJA, over 60% of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed after one year of their release, and 33% of formerly incarcerated people found no employment at all over four years post-release. Employment is one of the cornerstones of successful reentry, as it combats economic inequality and can be required for housing and/or support services. However, formerly incarcerated people face unique barriers to employment including bias and discrimination, tech literacy, employment discrimination, addiction support, and more. Pathway to Kinship addresses these barriers with programs that work - We work with our participants to secure employment, gain the skills to get their first job after incarceration through workforce readiness, and to learn how to plan for future economic stability.

With your support, Pathway to Kinship can expand our Critical Insight and Job Skills programming, equipping currently and formerly incarcerated community members with effective support for reentry. Those programs include:
1) Critical Insight: Reentry Support in California Prisons: PTK offers reentry programming at eight CDCR prisons. Over 14 week cycles, Pathway to Kinship trainers support their preparation towards parole, in-institution learning, relapse prevention, restorative justice, and reentry. At the culmination of Critical Insight, we offer Reentry Coach Certification trainings, building direct pathways to employment upon reentry. Reentry can be the time of greatest need and economic scarcity - it’s a crucial moment for many, and Pathway to Kinship builds skills and job placement opportunities so that currently incarcerated community members have a clear pathway to economic stability upon their release.
2) Job Skills and Anti-Recidivism Support for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: Through one-on-one and group cohort settings, formerly incarcerated community members in LA learn a detailed 7 Keys framework for personal and professional development. Our 8-12 week training program builds personal narrative, confidence, job interview preparation, professional conduct, housing, and more. Participants gain foundational skills in job seeking and maintaining employment, fostering workplace readiness to secure their future and significantly reduce the risks of recidivism.

Los Angeles County is a place of opportunity, of dreams, reinvention, and creativity. Formerly incarcerated community members deserve this opportunity; they've served their time but they are not given a fair chance at success. With your support, we can build a more equitable Los Angeles. As a result of our work together:
1) Pathway to Kinship can reach 1,000 currently and formerly incarcerated community members with the skills to find housing, employment, and community. 2) Over 85% of our participants will secure and hold employment after a year, significantly contributing to anti-recidivism.
3) Pathway to Kinship's model will serve as a best practice for intervention, trusting in the leadership of formerly incarcerated community members to blend job skills training, restorative justice, and mentorship to truly foster lasting economic equity
Over the past 2 years, we have seen a 150% + demand for service; together, we can reach impacted Los Angelinos with programming that works.

Pathway to Kinship has a proven track record in workforce development for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, helping people to secure housing, pursue education, and become gainfully employed.
Over the past 4 years, Pathway to Kinship has invested in evaluation of our work through pre/post participant surveys and annual follow ups. Studies show that more than 61% of people released from California prisons will return within one year; the highest rate in the country. Our work shows an >85% job placement rate after one year, a proven method of reducing recidivism. In addition, over 95% of our participants show skills growth post-session. That includes participants like Salim who writes,
“After 20 years in prison, Pathway To Kinship has provided exactly what the name promises: A path of ongoing mentoring, support and community. Four years later, they are still here supporting me. I’m now a union teamster with a career, full benefits and a good living.”