By decreasing the likelihood of recidivism among
clients, Project Return provides tangible returns
to Nashville and surrounding communities. First,
the tax burden associated with re-incarceration
is reduced. Secondly, if we consider the cost
benefit of ex-offenders paying taxes and contributing
to the overall economy, the returns are significantly
greater. And finally, PRI’s programs aid
in ending the intergenerational cycle of
joblessness, poverty and crime for future generations.
Why Promote Systemic Change?
Any solution to the recalcitrant social problem of reintegrating ex-offenders into the community requires the collaborative contributions of agencies charged with ensuring public safety, public health, and employment opportunities. PRI seeks to promote systemic change while protecting public safety by successfully reintegrating former offenders through direct collaboration with the community. There is always a dynamic tension between the community’s need for safety and the ex-offender’s need to return to society. Although protecting public safety and social order are paramount, significant investment also must be made in the successful reentry of the offender. In this sense, “good reentry is good public safety.”
"Parole releases an individual from the razor wire... Our job is to remove the razor wire from the mind."
