RACINE — The Johnson Foundation has launched the Safety and Well-Being Collaborative in Racine, a new effort that aims to address some of the area's most pressing needs.
"It has been three years in the making," Alex Smith, program officer with The Johnson Foundation, said.
More than 200 people have been involved in the process, which included research, surveys, and conversations with residents about what they need to thrive.
"We'd work with community members on testing solutions that would actually be applicable to them," Smith said.
The collaborative has identified four solution areas: job and economic stability, food access, parenting support, and reentry and family reconnection following incarceration.
"A lot of these solutions are going to be embedded in community, move with community, and adapt with community," Smith said.
Watch: Racine community leaders celebrate launch of Safety and Well-Being Collaborative to address resident needs
One of the initiatives launching under the collaborative is the Racine Reentry Council, which Heather Bennett is helping to get off the ground.
"The reentry council is a coordinated effort to bring resources and support to people returning home from prison," Bennett said.
Bennett currently works as the Second Chance Program director with Racine Kenosha Vocational Ministry, assisting individuals with reentry.
"This is a very, very treacherous road for reentrants," she said.
The council will also serve the families of those returning from incarceration by "helping the families understand the rules so that the loved one has a higher chance of succeeding, if everyone in the home knows the rules," Bennett explained.
When asked if Racine has anything like a reentry council right now, Bennett said, "We do not."
Bennett said the council is needed not only for individuals navigating reentry, but for the broader success of the community.
"If we have a specific place, or person, that someone can come to and say, 'How do I find housing, transportation, employment?' all in one hub, it will elevate their chances of success," Bennett said.
Bennett speaks from personal experience, having navigated reentry herself.
"Just the basic knowledge of what do I do, where do I go, I didn't have any of that," Bennett said.
She said success would look like "partnering with the pre-release planning for every individual that is returning home to Racine, to be connected to that resource before they even release."
The Racine County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is expected to formally establish the Racine Reentry Council as a subcommittee on June 12.
More information about the Safety and Well-Being Collaborative is available through The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.
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