Release from prison is often a gateway to homelessness and proliferates a negative cycle with no re-start point.
According to a 2006 Wilder Research report, 65 percent of people in their first year out of jail fail to find and keep housing. Without a permanent address, landing a job is nearly impossible. PPL ReStart is a newly-launched supportive housing initiative designed to help 14 individuals break that cycle.
In partnership with NetWork for Better Futures, PPL Re-Start combines affordable housing with support services specifically aimed at helping clear the very rocky path individuals with criminal histories face in moving toward self-sufficiency. These services will address the individuals’ physical, mental and chemical health, their employment and educational needs, and life skills for better parenting and positive community involvement.
PPL’s Self-Sufficiency Program was granted a VISTA member to help with the program, through the Council on Crime and Justice – MN Prisoner ReEntry AmeriCorps*VISTA Project. Residents will be referred to PPL Re-Start from other PPL programs and NetWork for Better Futures. More than a dozen other agencies are involved, including the Department of Corrections, Goodwill/Easter Seals, and Second Chance Coalition.