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ARRO
Advocacy, Re-entry, Resources and Outreach (ARRO) is a
branch of our Outreach Program that connects ex-offenders
and their friends and families to quality resources to ensure
successful community reintegration. Click here for our
brochure!
"ARRO" Thinking outside the box ~
Eliminating the barriers that bind us
Click the links below to hear Dr. Alexander widely acclaimed
speaker and author of the book “The New Jim Crow” as she
kicks-off the “Fair Chance Coalition” campaign. Ms.
Alexander speaks on employment and other consequences
of a criminal conviction and how barriers to employment for
individuals hurt our communities, families, and taxpayers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NO6-xQSggw
www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/mass-incarceration-in-
the-age-of-colorblindness
Click here to watch another video about ARRO straight from
the board!
ARRO's Annual Prison Poetry Project
The ARRO program hosts an annual Prison Poetry Project.
Inmate poetry is read by prominent community leaders and all
monies raised go to support our ex-offender program. Click
here for photos, poems and more!
Ban-The-Box
For the past few years, A.R.R.O has tried to get some
momentum going for a city ordinance called “Ban the Box”.
Many other cities have attempted to adopt it. Kalamazoo has
been the first city in Michigan to do so. The ordinance requires
the removal of the box on job applications that asks if you
have ever been convicted of a felony. This ordinance would
eliminate the practice of applications being automatically
thrown into the trash with out proper consideration, a practice
that discriminates against ex-offenders. This ordinance
would allow a fair consideration of an individual based on
work experience and education rather than just on their
previous convictions. Once selected for a job interview the ex-
offender can let the employer know of their past record and
how he or she has been rehabilitated. At this point, the
employer can choose to run a background check on the
person and negotiate terms of employment if he or she is the
best candidate for the job. We all make mistakes, some
worse than others, but we all need a job to make a living and
not be a burden on society. Without the support of our
community, we can’t get these laws and ordinances changed
without you. To find out how you can help please call Monica
at 517-999-2894.
ARRO Wants to Challenge our Business Community
Recently, ARRO attended a working meeting for re-entry
issues at the State Bar Association. It was amazing to listen
to how Grand Rapids and Cascade Engineering have made
great strides to open doors for employment for returning
citizens. The business community in Detroit also brought a
voice to this meeting, by combating the monies being spent in
corrections.
As the State Capitol of Michigan, it is time that Lansing and
Ingham County work toward setting an example in the
employment barrier for returning citizens. They are coming
back to the community - a fact that we can not ignore. It would
be beneficial for our community to open their arms to give ex-
felons a chance at a new life. They have done their time and
learned from their mistakes. Therefore, we at ARRO
challenge our community to make the same strides as Grand
Rapids. You can help by looking at the actual benefits of
hiring an ex-felon and by making more of an effort to hire
them. For more information, please contact Monica at (517)
999-2894.
branch of our Outreach Program that connects ex-offenders
and their friends and families to quality resources to ensure
successful community reintegration. Click here for our
brochure!
"ARRO" Thinking outside the box ~
Eliminating the barriers that bind us
Click the links below to hear Dr. Alexander widely acclaimed
speaker and author of the book “The New Jim Crow” as she
kicks-off the “Fair Chance Coalition” campaign. Ms.
Alexander speaks on employment and other consequences
of a criminal conviction and how barriers to employment for
individuals hurt our communities, families, and taxpayers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NO6-xQSggw
www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/mass-incarceration-in-
the-age-of-colorblindness
Click here to watch another video about ARRO straight from
the board!
ARRO's Annual Prison Poetry Project
The ARRO program hosts an annual Prison Poetry Project.
Inmate poetry is read by prominent community leaders and all
monies raised go to support our ex-offender program. Click
here for photos, poems and more!
Ban-The-Box
For the past few years, A.R.R.O has tried to get some
momentum going for a city ordinance called “Ban the Box”.
Many other cities have attempted to adopt it. Kalamazoo has
been the first city in Michigan to do so. The ordinance requires
the removal of the box on job applications that asks if you
have ever been convicted of a felony. This ordinance would
eliminate the practice of applications being automatically
thrown into the trash with out proper consideration, a practice
that discriminates against ex-offenders. This ordinance
would allow a fair consideration of an individual based on
work experience and education rather than just on their
previous convictions. Once selected for a job interview the ex-
offender can let the employer know of their past record and
how he or she has been rehabilitated. At this point, the
employer can choose to run a background check on the
person and negotiate terms of employment if he or she is the
best candidate for the job. We all make mistakes, some
worse than others, but we all need a job to make a living and
not be a burden on society. Without the support of our
community, we can’t get these laws and ordinances changed
without you. To find out how you can help please call Monica
at 517-999-2894.
ARRO Wants to Challenge our Business Community
Recently, ARRO attended a working meeting for re-entry
issues at the State Bar Association. It was amazing to listen
to how Grand Rapids and Cascade Engineering have made
great strides to open doors for employment for returning
citizens. The business community in Detroit also brought a
voice to this meeting, by combating the monies being spent in
corrections.
As the State Capitol of Michigan, it is time that Lansing and
Ingham County work toward setting an example in the
employment barrier for returning citizens. They are coming
back to the community - a fact that we can not ignore. It would
be beneficial for our community to open their arms to give ex-
felons a chance at a new life. They have done their time and
learned from their mistakes. Therefore, we at ARRO
challenge our community to make the same strides as Grand
Rapids. You can help by looking at the actual benefits of
hiring an ex-felon and by making more of an effort to hire
them. For more information, please contact Monica at (517)
999-2894.
| nwi |
| NorthWest Initiative - North Neighborhood Center 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: 517-999-2894 Fax: 517-999-2897 |
| The ARRO program hosts an annual Prison Poetry Project. Inmate poetry is read by prominent community leaders and all monies raised go to support our ex-offender program. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THIS GREAT PROJECT! |
| Why is ARRO Important to the Community? Between 600,000 and 700,000 people complete prison sentences each year and return to communities all across America. Helping ex-prisoners succeed serves the interests of both offenders and communities. Communities are safer and victimization is reduced when offenders succeed. Peggy Burke and Micheal Tonry, in a publication for the Lansing based Center for Effective Public Policy put it this way: "Ex-prisoners who fail, generate new victims, reduce public safety, and create enormous costs to process and punish their new crimes and technical violations. They also diminish their own lives damage the lives of their families and loved ones. Everyone loses. Ex-prisoners who succeed spare the rest of us those costs but also contribute to their communities, support themselves and their families, and improve thier own lives. Everyone wins." The Ex-offender Outreach Program at NorthWest Initiative, with the help of the community, wants to make sure that "everyone wins!" |
