United Way Innovation: GRIP- United Way of Greater Atlanta

Roughly 35,000 people are released from jail each year from Gwinnett County Detention Center, and 10% have no place to go. Returning prisoners encounter countless challenges when returning to their communities, with housing as one of the largest obstacles. As incarcerated individuals prepare to reenter their communities, there are many factors that determine whether they can build a successful life.

In order to lower recidivism, we must remove roadblocks and restore opportunities. Today, collaboration between public health agencies, community organizations and jail health services are insufficient in coordinating care after incarceration. With fragmented care, individuals face barriers in housing, access to health insurance, employment and more.

Designing a more interconnected system between service agencies is critical to reducing recidivism. United Way of Greater Atlanta has created the Gwinnett Reentry Intervention Program, GRIP, a comprehensive care management platform that pairs individuals with social services to become self-sufficient.

In partnership with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s department, United Way of Greater Atlanta assesses and refers inmates to GRIP to receive housing, case management, access to mental health services, health services and job assistance through their partnership with 60 organizations. GRIP facilitates vital connections between newly released prisoners and services they need to maintain self-sufficiency.

Since 2012, GRIP has delivered on its promises. GRIP has permanently housed more than 270 ex-offenders and connected over 3,000 individuals to the appropriate services. Recently, GRIP adopted Pokket, a comprehensive digital management system created by Acivilate, designed to synchronize existing human services while maintaining privacy. Pokket has allowed GRIP to maximize its output by reducing the time it takes to connect ex-offenders to services from weeks to hours. Information is updated in real time which allows case managers to track their progress and follow up on services and requirements. With less paperwork and more engagement, case managers stay better connected with released individuals throughout the re-entry process.

GRIP has made transformative change on recidivism. Since its initiation, the recidivism rate has decreased by more than 60% for GRIP participants, dropping from 25.5% to 8.2%.

United Way of Greater Atlanta is making innovative change by opening the door to returning individuals. By lowering barriers to housing and creating pathways between services, returning prisoners are empowered to successfully reengage in their community.