Navigating any system, especially the criminal justice system, is arduous. We recognize the need for more community-based organizations that support people’s reentry that include trauma-informed practices, are culturally relevant, and understand community needs. The following links provide services, information, and resources to justice-involved parents or caregivers.
A national program and resource directory has been created by Rutgers University. The directory includes programs for all 50 states and international programs.
Area Served: National
Parent Organization: Legal Aid
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities: No
Legal Aid provides free or reduced cost legal services for people in the criminal justice system. Find your state’s legal aid resource by going to the national directory and typing in your state.
Area Served: National
Parent Organization: Fatherhood Initiative
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities: No
National Fatherhood Initiative provides information and programming for justice-involved fathers. Their website includes free resources and a state directory of fatherhood programs.
Area Served: National
Parent Organization: National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities: No
The National Institute of Corrections, an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons has developed a map of state programs for women who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Follow along the interactive map to find programs in your state that serve justice-involved women.
Area Served: National
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities: No
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration created a toolkit for women coming out of prison. The guide provides individuals who provide or coordinate reentry services for women involved in the CJ system with resources for serving women who are reentering the community after a period of incarceration. It is a "checklist" of considerations when working with women who are justice involved.
Area Served: National
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities: No
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. They cover the whole criminal justice spectrum from arrest to reentry. A recent report was released on child support and reentry. The report focuses on what social scientists and policy analysts have learned about how child support, criminal justice, and reentry are related: How do child support obligations affect reintegration? How does incarceration affect child support repayment and debt? What policies exacerbate the debt-recidivism link? Which policies show promise in ameliorating it?
