Our overall goal is to give exonerees the confidence to lead a successful life and to fulfill their life goals and dreams. To do this we will offer holistic case management to each exoneree and provide distinguished and direct services and opportunities that will assist in the transition from a life in prison, to successful members of the community.
The support offered to exonerees the first weeks after exoneration are essential successful integration. Our initial goal is to have a person of contact to initiate immediate assistance and resources for these individuals to help guide and plan for a successful post release life. Each client will receive individualized case management, specific to each exonerees needs. The integration and reentry program provides exonerees with the compassion and services they need to thrive in their communities.
Case management begins before an exoneree is released. We work closely with the Northern California Innocence Project to recruit exonerees as they prepare for release. Once contact is made, we assess if the program would be beneficial to the exoneree. Then we begin the intake process by assigning the exoneree to an individual case manager. Each exoneree fills out the Participant Intake Assessment Form, and the case manager performs an initial assessment to find which programs/services will work best for that person. Upon completion of intake, the case manager develops a service plan for the exoneree orients the exoneree to the resources available including job training, individual and family counseling, housing assistance, financial planning, education and other skill development workshops. Because each individual’s situation is different, this plan can include additional services not offered in our initial programs, such as drug/alcohol treatment, or mental health services, in which case we will provide proper referrals and assistance to connect the exoneree to other providers.
