A Second Chance
Project RETURN Helps the Formerly Incarcerated to Find a Better Life
By Emily Sacco
To anyone outside of the Milwaukee community, 53206 might be an arbitrary set of numbers. To many news outlets, 53206 is known for its high rate of crime and incarceration. But to some, this sequence means home.
Eugene Nelson, coordinator for Project RETURN’s Food Share Employment Training (FSET), is one of them. Nelson visited Marquette University with co-presenter Amanda Smit on last month to lead a workshop at the Justice in Action (JIA) conference.
Many like Nelson and Smit are actively working to change the narrative about 53206. Through their work with Project RETURN, a nonprofit organization that assists formerly incarcerated individuals through their transitions back into the community, they offer services that target employment, affordable housing and mental health.
As the FSET coordinator, Nelson helps people develop job skills and reduce barriers to employment. FSET is Wisconsin’s employment and training program that has helped more than 25,000 people gain relevant experience and find jobs.
Nelson fondly remembers the story of a man who got involved with FSET during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to this training, he became employed and is now taking an information technology class to build his skills. He also works with some of Project RETURN’s sister organizations.
As someone who was formerly incarcerated, Nelson said the most rewarding part of his job is seeing people put boots on the ground to succeed.
“Why not work with individuals who have been like me, who have gone through it? For me, it was personal, it’s my passion. I’m a champion of the underdog,” said Nelson.
While Nelson oversees the employment branch of Project RETURN, program coordinator Amanda Smit focuses on mental health. She organizes circles of support, intensive, peer-led groups that act as safe spaces for people to talk about their experiences with incarceration.
“We still focus on jobs and housing, but mental health has been a major, major point of this because some people don’t even realize why they react a certain way, or why they didn’t want to follow the stay-at-home order, or why they needed to rebel,” said Smit.
Smit said that Project RETURN does not refuse service to anyone who seeks out their help. The plan is to form connections and break stigmatic cycles.
“People do not want to rent to [violent offenders]. There’s that stigma, there’s that shame about that when most of the time, these guys just want to work and have somewhere to go home to. They’re your best employees, they’re your best friends,” said Smit.
The primary goal of Project RETURN is to separate individuals from their past by not only providing resources and support, but also addressing the roots of criminalization and recidivism.
“There’s been barriers that have been provided over the years from these systems where certain individuals can’t get housing because of their criminal background. Just think about how pertinent this is in terms of the success of individuals and the demographics that we help,” said Nelson.
