Prisoner Reentry

Prisoner Reentry Culinary ClassARCHS' Lifelong Learning:

Prisoner Reentry Programs

State of Missouri Reentry Conference

Missouri's Parenting from Prison Program

ARCHS' Funding Partners: U.S. Dept. of Justice (2009-2011), U.S. Dept. of Labor (2007-2009), the Missouri Departments of Corrections and Social Services and the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis.

Goal: Provide life/job skills training, mentoring, wrap around social services and job placement services to ex-offenders.

ARCHS' Service Delivery Partners: Area social service and job training agencies.

Key Results to Date:

U.S. Dept. of Justice: In 2009, ARCHS was the only organization in Missouri to be awarded a first round "Second Chance Act" grant from the U.S. Dept. of Justice. ARCHS partnered with the Missouri Dept. of Corrections to implement an innovative mentoring program at three state prisons (Pacific, Vandalia, and Farmington). During the two-year program, 258 ex-offenders were served. The vast majority (98%) of these ex-offenders served by ARCHS' mentoring program did not recidivate, with only 2.4% having returned to prison. The program's impact achieved impressive results, compared with the national and state average recidivism rate of more than 35% returning to prison.

U.S. Dept. of Labor: ARCHS has a history of successfully implementing federally-funded reentry life skills and job training/placement programs. In 2007 ARCHS implemented a highly successful U.S. Dept. of Labor grant that resulted in 650 ex-offenders being served – 350 of which were placed in jobs valued annually at $5.6 million (vs. a comparable $5.2 million estimated cost to the state to incarcerate the same number of people).

State of Missouri: More than 300 people attend the annual Missouri Reentry Conference each year.

Availability: Not open to the general public. Referrals made through prisons and probation and parole offices.

ARCHS Selected by State to Implement USDA Grant

Monday, 12 December 2011 |

Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) has been selected by the State of Missouri to implement a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant.

Missouri will receive up to $2 million from the USDA to provide access to healthy foods to approximately 10,000 vulnerable children from the St. Louis, Kansas City, Hickman Mills and Center school districts next summer.

“No child should ever go hungry in Missouri; but unfortunately, many children who receive free or reduced-price meals are at risk of malnutrition during the summer,” said Gov. Jay Nixon. “I have long been a strong advocate for these programs to help children in need, and I’m pleased that Missouri is leading the way to help these children in the summer months as well.”

The Missouri project operates as a collaborative between the Department of Social Services; the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Department of Health and Senior Services; the Local Investment Commission (LINC) in Kansas City; ARCHS in St. Louis; and the Kansas City, St. Louis, Hickman Mills and Center school districts

Offender Reentry and Substance Abuse White Paper

Monday, 14 March 2011 |

More than 270 Attend STAR Summit II
New White Paper Released

The first in a series of “white papers” issued by the St. Louis Alliance for Reentry (STAR) is being released today (Tuesday, March 15) during a regional summit addressing prisoner reentry topics. Today’s summit is providing the community with an update on STAR’s 2010 accomplishments and 2011 goals. A documented rise in the use of heroin throughout the St. Louis region will be a topic of the summit. More than 270 people are attending STAR’s second annual community summit that features speakers such as Missouri Department of Corrections Director George Lombardi, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and prisoner reentry experts.

ARCHS' Reentry Culinary Partnership

Monday, 04 October 2010 |

The ARCHS' Culinary Reentry Community Partnership is once again setting the table to provide ex-offenders the chance to cook up a new life path. Three weeks are left in the partnership class, and all 10 participants hope to graduate and enter the workforce with a valuable skill.

ARCHS’ ongoing partnership with St. Louis Community College provides participants with a fresh knowledge of preparation, cooking, sanitation, safety and much more. The class is five days a week.

“I told them at the start of the class they should take advantage of the opportunity,” said Chef David Green, who teaches the culinary class. “Each one of them has someone close to them who are counting on them. I know they all can make an impact on the industry.”