For Von Lancaster, a 23-year-old Dorchester resident, the path to a new life after incarceration has been anything but easy. “I never want to go back to jail. I was angry and didn’t know how to communicate so I would burst,” Lancaster shares. But, with the support of JRI-STRIVE Boston, a workforce development program focused on re-entry, Lancaster is now building a better life for himself. “There are so many doors opening for me now, and I can’t be stuck on one thing from the past,” says Lancaster.  

 

Recidivism—the cycle of formerly incarcerated individuals to reoffend and return to jail—is a persistent challenge in the U.S., but programs like STRIVE are making a measurable impact by helping returning citizens like Lancaster build a strong foundation for successful re-entry into society and the workplace. Funded in part through a Re-entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program Grant, STRIVE partners with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office to provide behind-the-wall training and re-entry support. Their mission is clear: to equip individuals with the skills and mindset necessary to secure meaningful employment, break the cycle of incarceration, and create a better life for themselves. 

 

“STRIVE’s Rapid Re-entry Program’s mission is to make systemic change by taking the STRIVE nationally known curriculum into South Bay House of Correction to provide structured and collaborative training for soon-to-be returning citizens as they journey to become productive working citizens,” says Taron Tibbs, Program Director of STRIVE Boston Employment Service. 

 

Lancaster participated in the STRIVE program in 2023 while completing a sentence at the Suffolk County South Bay House of Correction. Since then, he says that STRIVE has opened doors he never imagined possible. “Before STRIVE, I couldn’t even type,” he admits. Through the program, he gained essential skills, from resume writing to interview techniques, and now works as a facility maintenance staff member at a Boston hospital—a milestone he is proud to have reached. But Lancaster’s ambitions don’t stop there—he is studying for his GED and has set his sight on a career in the trades, with dreams of becoming a licensed plumber and electrician. 

 

“STRIVE definitely made my life a little better. They helped me with my communication, how to talk on the phone, interact with authorities, and overall, not be angry and stay calm in situations. Now they are helping me get into a trade program after I am done with my GED,” he says enthusiastically. “I am thankful; it has definitely been good,” says Lancaster.  

 

Programs like STRIVE equip participants with practical workforce development and teach the mindset needed for success. Hewitt Joyner, facilities case manager at JRI-STRIVE Boston, explains their cognitive-behavioral approach: “We teach participants the 3Cs, which is to think critically about challenges, choices, and consequences. That shift in mindset is what helps them make better decisions and avoid returning to old patterns. They learn to recognize their challenges and what has caused problems in their life. It is then when they realize they don’t have one choice, they have multiple choices, and they can change the outcome by making conscious choices,” says Joyner.   

 

STRIVE knows there are three significant factors that can cut recidivism rates: changing the mindset, gaining employment, and securing stable housing. “United States prisons release or parole 650,000 inmates per year. Suffolk House of Correction releases 3,000 per year, and the MA Department of Correction releases close to 7,000 per year. We have to have a community-based system in place that goes behind the wall to provide services and prepare people for coming back to the community,” Tibbs emphasizes. 

 

Doors continue to open for the individuals STRIVE serves. The organization recently began crafting a partnership with Emerge Careers, an organization that provides hybrid job training programs for returning citizens. Through Emerge, STRIVE aims to offer participants a CDL training program. “It’s a 3-month training program from start to finish that helps them get CDL learner permits, and once participants start working as drivers, they can earn as much as $74,000 a year. It’s a big opportunity,” says Joyner. 


Ultimately, it’s the power of second chances and the gratitude that comes with them that makes all the difference. “Everybody deserves a second chance,” says Joyner. “In this country, that doesn’t always happen, but with the right support and mindset, you can evolve.” 

  

 About Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program 

 

The Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program (RWDDP), administered by Commonwealth Corporation, is an initiative of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development which works to improve workforce outcomes among individuals returning to their communities after incarceration (i.e. returning citizens). The program aims to increase the number of formerly incarcerated individuals successfully placed into career tracks and sustainable wage employment opportunities.  Click here to learn more.