Each year, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, more than 13,000 Michigan residents return to their communities after being incarcerated.  But when they get home, those residents often face a series of challenges as they navigate re-entering society as well as finding work and housing with a criminal record.

This week on the show, hosts Bella Isaacs and Edie Juno talk to Farmer Melvin Parson of We The People Grower’s Association, a sustainable farming initiative in Ypsilanti that seeks to create employment opportunities for returning citizens. They’re also joined by Aaron Suganuma of A Brighter Way, a social support program for returning citizens in Washtenaw County, and Bosie Smith. Bosie returned home last year after being incarcerated since he was a minor and has been involved in a range of community work since then. The guests cover some of the main challenges and obstacles faced by returning citizens, how their organizations work to support those citizens, and what they think people often fail to understand about needs of those who have experienced incarceration.

Links:

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Case Study 

Prison Policy Initiative Fact Sheets 

Nation Outside – The Voice of Formerly-Incarcerated People

Cover photo courtesy of Cody Ryan Martell