Second Chances: Meet the KC group helping formerly incarcerated succeed (2024)

CODY: THERE IS A REAL STIGMA FACING PEOPLE OWH HAVE FACED PRISON TIME. EVEN AFTER THEY’VE PAID THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY, GETTING BACK INTO SOCIETY IS AN UPHLIL BATTLE. THANKFULLY FOR THEM, ONE LOCAL GROUP IS WORKING TO HELP INTEGRATE FORMER OFFENDERS BACK IN TO OUR COMMUNITY. IT’S CALLED SECOND CHANCE PART OF THE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN CRIME COMMISSION. LAST YEAR, WE SHOWCASED THE GROUP AND FOUR PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE PROGRAM. THE GOAL IS TO BUST DOWN BARRIERS AND HELP THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED SUCCEED SO THEY DON’T GO BACK TO A LIFE OF CRIME. CASE WORKERS HELP PEOPLE ON PROBATION OR PAROLE WITH HOUSING, JOBS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS TO BETTER THEIR LIVES. APRIL IS KNOWN AS NATIONAL SECOND CHANCE MONTH. SO, EARLIER THIS PAST WEEK, WE WENT TO THE GROUP’S OFFICEINS KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, TO GIVE YOU A BETTER PICTURE OF THE WORK BEING DONE IN OUR COMMUNY.IT HERE I AM WITH BRITNEY, LEAD RESO CEUR SPECIALIST, AND JACK, GRADUATE OF THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU FOR HAVINGS U TODAY AREA LAST YEAR I HAD THE PLEASURE OF PROFILING YOUR PROGRAM AND SEEING THE IMPACT IT HAS HAD ON THE COMMUNITY. CAN YOU SHARE FOR THE VIERSWE WHO DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM BUT IT IS YOU DO HERE? >> THANK YOU. WE ARE A VENDOR FOR MISSOURI PROBATION AND PAROLE, HELPING INDIVIDUALS COMING HOME FROM IN CARCERATION TTORANSFORM THEIR LIVES. COME HOME, STAY HOME, BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED WITH SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND A NEW POOPRTUNITY TO MOVE THEIR LIVES FORWARD. CO:DY TELL ME YOUR STORY, THEY REALLY HELPED YOU IN A BIG WAY. >> WHEN I CAME HOME AND MET BRITNEY, W IAS TOLD THROUGH THE POWERS THAT BE TO GO TO FORKLIFT. SHE KEASD ME WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO AND I SAID FOOD. CODY: WHI HASCH NOTHING TO DO WITH FORKLIFT. [LAUGHTER] >> RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY ANYINTHG. IT’S A BLESSING THAT SHE SAW MY VISION, HEARD WHAT I SAID, CARED AND PUSHED ME IN THAT DIRECTION. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. CODY: WHAT STRIKES ME AS THIS IS NOT A BOILERPLATE. TRYING TO GET THE BEST FOOT FORWARD POSSIBLE. >> IT'’ IORMPTANT, YOU DON’T WANT A DEAD-END JOB, YOU DON’T WANT TO HATE GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY. WE WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATNIO THE PRINCIPLES OF EMPLOYMENT RETENTION. DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS. WE WANT TO MOVE OUR CLIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS IN THAT DIRECTION. WE DON’T WANT TO JUST SAY GO WORK IN A WAREHOUSE AND BE MISERABLE. WE NTWA THEM TO BE DRIVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TO LIVE OUT THEIR PASSIONS. CO:DY IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT IN COVERING SECD ONCHANCE, THAT IS A, THERE ARE NO FORKLIFTS INVOLVED BUT YOU’RE GOING TO OPEN YOUR OWN RESTAURANT?> > YEAH, GOT THE KEYS YESTERDAY. IT’S REALLY COOL. I’M STILL SWALLOWING. I’LL BE ON 27TH AND 3205 EAST 27TH STREET. [LAUGHTER] AGAIN, I’M NERVOUS BUT IT IS A BLESSING, MAN, OPENING MY OWN RESTAUNT,RA FINALLY, HELPING TO FEED THE COMNITYMU HEALTHY FOOD, GOOD FOOD. CODY: WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE IN THIS PROGRAM? >> I PATH BEFORE THIS, I GRADUATED OMFR COLGELE, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE INCARCERATED. FINDING SOMEO WNEHO CARES WHERE YOU THINK ALL HOPE IS LOST, FINDING MANKIND IN MY CASE, I LIKE THAT. SECOND CHANCESRE A FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE MISTAKES. DON’T MAKE MISTAKES, GET INTO ANYTHING, WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS. THAT’S THE BLESSING SECOND CHANCES HAS REALLY GIVEN ME. A SUPER OPPORTUNITY TO BE TAKEN AD VANTAGE OF. CODY: WHATOE DS IT MEAN TO YOU HERE WHEN YOU SEE THESE SUCSSCE STORIES? >> EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN THE PROGRAM LOVES WHAT THEY DOOR F A LIVING AND I THINK THAT REALLY HAS A BIG IMPACT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHONGWI UP AND PROVIDING IN THE COMMITY UNEVERY DAASY WELL. PLENTY OF US HAVE MADE POOR DECISIONS INUR O LIFE AND WE ARE NOT BEING DEFINED BY THAT AND WE WANT TO OFFER TH FORAT PEOPLE COMING HOME FROM INCARCERATION. WE WANT TO PUT OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF PEOEPL SO THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE A PART OF THE CYCLE OF REINCARCERATION FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. COME HOME, STAY HOME. CODY: WHAT A GREAT MISSION, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US INTERVIEWERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TI.ME NOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS YOU , CAN HELP SECOND CHANCE. THE EASIEST IS TO TAKE OUT YOUR SMARTPHONE, AND POINT IT AT THE Q.R. CODE ON YOUR SCREEN OR