Safer Foundation

Safer foundation, as a nonprofit private agency, operates secure residential work release centers for the illinois department of corrections. Our two adult transition centers (atc's) are work release facilities which allow incarcerated individuals to serve the final 3 to 30 months of their state prison sentences in a community-based setting. The goal is to provide selected participants with the opportunity to transition into the workforce, reconnect with family, and reintegrate into their neighborhoods before release, ultimately increasing their chances of becoming successful law- abiding community members. The two atc's have a combined recidivism rate of 16.7%, which is the lowest among prisons & atc's in the state of illinois. Reducing recidivism directly impacts crime rates. Services offered at the atc's include substance abuse treatment, medical assistant treatment, safer skills training (sst), mentoring, high school equivalency testing, and demand skill vocational training. In addition, nurses from the university of illinois health center are available at each facility. In fy23, over 450 clients were served at the two adult transition centers. However, due to the ongoing covid pandemic related idoc directives, the movement of new residents from idoc to safer atc's was lower than no-pandemic years. On average, 80 high school equivalencies are completed each year, and atc residents are encouraged to participate in-demand skill training programs to earn industry-recognized credentials.

BASIC SKILLS/EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS AND IOWA - focuses on improving literacy for teenage youth and adults who have an arrest or criminal history, or are deemed at risk of justice system involvement, which can pose significant barriers to self-sufficiency. Safer aims to strengthen participants' skills in reading, math, and writing, which supports access to higher-wage employment opportunities. Long-term, Safer supports participants in earning their High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and/or transitioning into postsecondary education or credential-based training programs. Educational services are delivered through direct instruction, tutoring, and digital learning platforms. To support learning and credentialing success, Safer offers remote learning options and serves as a Pearson VUE examination center for HSED testing. In Eastern Iowa, Safer operates as a satellite site of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, which administers official HSED testing and state examinations for participants in that region. These services are made possible through collaborative efforts with key stakeholders and funders, including WIOA Titles I-IV, Local Workforce Innovation Boards (LWIBs), the U.S. Department of Justice, Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC), Illinois Departments of Corrections, the State of Iowa, as well as various municipalities, community foundations, and other community-based partners.

Wellness and counseling supportive reentry

The supportive reentry network collaborative is an integrative reentry model offering access to individuals returning home from incarceration to address the health-related social needs. Services provided include mental health, substance use, public benefit assistance, housing, and other services (242), employment assistance (included) assistance obtaining state ids, social security cards, resume writing, job referrals, clothing needs(306), and transportation supports) (572) and job starts (194).