The neighborhood in Wellford, SC, will provide housing, education facilities, and social support to help men and women thrive after incarceration.
JUMPSTART plans to complete the Opportunity Center, build three additional homes in 2023, and complete the project by 2025. The organization has already raised $4 million to break ground, build the infrastructure for 22 homes, and construct the first four new homes. Now JUMPSTART needs additional donors and partners to join forces to raise capital to complete the project. One five-bedroom home fully furnished in Restoration Village costs $250,000, or $110 per square foot.
Building on past success
JUMPSTART, based in Spartanburg, SC, has a long history of providing transitional housing for released prisoners. Over the past 14 years, the organization has offered re-entry services to hundreds of men and women who have successfully integrated into the community after incarceration. Active in 19 prisons across South Carolina, JUMPSTART has assisted over 3,500 individuals since 2008, with an impressive 96% remaining free after release. Among JUMPSTART graduates, the recidivism rate is a nation-leading low of 4%, compared to South Carolina's average of 19%—the lowest in the entire USA.
Bryan Stirling, Director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, stated in a WYFF 4 interview last year, "When I'm asked about how South Carolina now has the lowest level of recidivism, I encourage other state leaders to look at JUMPSTART."
The upcoming Restoration Village and its supportive housing campus for returning citizens will enable the ministry to broaden the impact of its work, assisting more recently released prisoners in their transition from incarceration to community life.
JUMPSTART CEO Cary Sanders remarked on the innovative transitional housing project, "We're building a transformational community of hope, where 100% of those released from incarceration have the opportunity to succeed.
"We offer supportive housing for 12-24 months, collaborate with employers who pay a living wage, provide life-skills training, and foster a strong support network around each individual to ensure they are loved, encouraged, and held accountable.
"This is about safety for South Carolina too. When we provide those being released from incarceration transformational opportunities, so they can be successful, we create a safer community for everyone."
Why does transitional housing for returning citizens matter?
Stable housing is crucial for individuals transitioning from incarceration to become productive citizens. Without it, they lack the necessary stability for employment, life-skills training, and medical and psychological care. Those without supportive housing services are more likely to re-offend, relapse into addiction, and struggle to maintain long-term employment.
However, securing stable housing after incarceration is challenging for recently released prisoners. Approximately 10% of individuals become homeless upon release. Even when they have the funds for housing, property managers and landlords are often hesitant to consider applications from those with criminal convictions.
Restoration Village will act as the central hub for JUMPSTART's transitional programs for individuals released from incarceration. The comprehensive 12-24-month program offers stable, secure housing, physical, mental, and dental healthcare, financial stability training, mentorship, transportation, meaningful employment with a living wage, and various other opportunities.
Given JUMPSTART's current success rate, the Restoration Village project is projected to save South Carolina taxpayers over $12 million annually, as the yearly cost of incarceration in the state exceeds $32,000 per person.
JUMPSTART Program Creates a Safer Community
Gaining admission to JUMPSTART's transitional program is no easy feat. Individuals must first complete JUMPSTART's yearlong Inside Program before becoming eligible for the transitional program upon release. This intensive mentorship and discipleship program transforms lives through core values of accountability, responsibility, and submission to authority. An intense subjective assessment is used to determine program graduates, with less than 50% of enrollees completing the yearlong course.
JUMPSTART envisions Restoration Village as a beacon of hope and love for recently released prisoners and a national model for cities and states across the USA to enhance prisoner rehabilitation and reduce recidivism rates.
JUMPSTART's unparalleled success in assisting prisoners to reintegrate into society and thrive as community members stems from its holistic and continuum of care approach. This distinctive approach sets JUMPSTART apart from other organizations and contributes to its exceptional outcomes.
The holistic approach adopted by JUMPSTART addresses the multitude of challenges faced by individuals during and after incarceration, including physical and mental health, addiction, education, employment, housing, and social support systems. Offering a wide range of services tailored to each client's individual needs, JUMPSTART ensures comprehensive support for successful community reintegration.
The continuum of care approach guarantees that JUMPSTART's clients benefit from unwavering support during their entire journey, from incarceration to release and reintegration into society. This method facilitates seamless service coordination, eliminating the need for clients to transition between various organizations or providers for help. By fostering enduring relationships with clients even post-release, JUMPSTART offers continuous support, tracks progress, and assists them in overcoming potential obstacles on their path to successful reintegration.
Opportunity to Make a Difference
Cary Sanders, CEO of JUMPSTART, shared, "This year, we need to raise $3 million to complete the Opportunity Center and build three additional homes to serve those who have already completed our inside program as they are released this year. I encourage those who wish to make a difference in the community to reach out so we can discuss the different opportunities we have for providing transformational opportunities. When lives that are off track experience restoration, we all win. Giving to JUMPSTART allows our community to do much more than meet needs but actually break cycles of addiction and crime."
Cary Sanders
JUMPSTART
+1 864-593-4288
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