← 2026–2030 Strategic Plan The problem we exist to solve

The Opportunity

Nearly 77 million Americans have a criminal record. Ninety-five percent of those currently incarcerated will return to society. Most face significant barriers to employment, housing and stability, and the cost of that failure is absorbed by families, employers, communities and taxpayers.

130K+ Texans in state prison TDCJ Statistical Report FY2024
~600K Released nationally each year BJS, Prisoners in 2022
95% Of incarcerated people return home BJS, Reentry Trends
28% Reincarcerated within three years BJS NCJ 256935, 24-state study
60%+ Unemployed a year after release Prison Policy Initiative, 2018
$47K Average annual cost per prisoner Vera Institute, 2023

The cost is already being paid

Reentry is one of the country’s most consequential and under-addressed challenges. The impact extends well beyond the individual, affecting families, children, workforce participation and community strength, while costing taxpayers more than $80 billion annually.

  • 47% of incarcerated people are parents, leaving 1.25 million children experiencing parental separation.
  • Household income falls an average of 22% following parental incarceration, and affected families show 40% higher public assistance use.
  • Children in those households face 30% elevated poverty rates, transmitting disadvantage to the next generation.

Texas and other states are already spending heavily on incarceration, often without solving the underlying cycle. The question is not whether to spend, but whether the spending changes the outcome.