a place of healing & growth
HomeBridge Ventures breaks the cycle of recidivism by providing comprehensive holistic healing, job training and placement, and a supportive community to formerly incarcerated residents. We keep people out of prison and in employment.
95% of men and women in prison today will be released, in the hope of restarting their lives. Over 70% of them will be rearrested within five years in a repeating cycle of poverty and re-incarceration. In Bridgeport alone, 1000 people return to the community every year from prison. Over 700 will be rearrested.
This cycle of poverty, violence, and incarceration results in lives thrown away. It is also an economic drag on society. The cost of policing and incarceration in the United States is $300 billion annually[1] .
HomeBridge will be a place of healing and growth for men and women reentering the Bridgeport community from prison and gang-related environments. Based on the highly successful model pioneered by Homeboy Industries in California, HomeBridge participants will be restored in three ways. First, trauma informed staff will develop and oversee their 18-month individualized program that deliversthe training and services they need. Second, they will receive a job in one of HomeBridge’s social enterprises or with a second chance employment partner soon after entering the program. Finally, they will be provided with training and placement into skilled positions when they finish their time at HomeBridge.
[1] The Economic Cost of the US Criminal Justice System, American Action Forum, June 2020