Today I put into motion the beginning of the T.I.E.R. (Transformative Initiative for Ending Recidivism) program.

This is an initial step towards creating a vehicle that will help countless women and men. Prisons have the potential to help mold women and men into the best version of themselves as opposed to what is now taking place, which is creating damaged unprepared people and unleashing them on our communities. The reason that everyone should care about this issue beyond the moral components that I will leave for another time, is each year over 700,000 women and men are released from prison in America. That is over 700,000 women and men coming to suburban America, rural America, the inner city and everywhere in the USA. What type of returning citizens do you want in your community? Do you want healthy, whole, employed citizens who are assets to the USA? Or do we want to continue producing and then releasing traumatized, unprepared men and women who are bitter from years of abuse, who are facing laws, practices and policies that prevent them from attaining gainful employment, that restricts their ability to access housing and that makes society less safe?

Programming such as TIER is needed all across this Nation, I am proud of what this program is already accomplishing. And I will keep you all updated on the progress/momentum. In the upcoming days you will be able to show your support for this program. Please stay tuned.

Tier Mission: TIER is an essential link between incarceration and successful reintegration. Our focus on Restorative justice, career placement, community service and civic engagement that begins while incarcerated allows for proven and unprecedented success.

wearethesrc!