Community Outreach
Restoration & Renewal
At the Recovery Studio, we place great value in the notion of restoration and renewal.
What others dismiss as a lost cause or too far gone to trouble with, we see as in need of some extra time, care and attention. In the spirit of rehabilitation, The Recovery Studio seeks to provide paid apprenticeship and employment opportunities to women who are emerging from the criminal justice system.
While there is evidence to show that work-force training has the potential to reduce rates of recidivism, the reality is that people re-entering society frequently experience discrimination in hiring practices- a result of negative stereotyping and lack of personal experience with the formerly incarcerated.
The U.S. has one of the highest rates of recidivism of any country in the world. The likelihood that a formerly incarcerated individual will return to that system within a two year span is around 44%. One of the most significant impediments to re-entry into the community that the formerly incarcerated face is the availability of thriving wage employment.
About 80% of incarcerated women are mothers. As primary care-givers for their families, their children are especially susceptible to the consequences of justice-system involvement. The children of incarcerated mothers are at the highest risk of facing not only their own incarceration, but serious and persistent mental and physical health issues.
The impact of incarceration can and often does have far-reaching consequences for multiple generations within the same family. The creation of thriving wage employment has the potential to off-set this oppressive and cyclical dynamic.
The Recovery Studio is dedicated to providing a safe, fair and consistent environment for those seeking to make changes in their lives.
Sources: Economic Policy Institute, Prison Policy Initiative
