250+ Attend AG Miyares' Re-Entry Event in Henrico @Alpha1906Network #Virginia
On Saturday, April 22 in Henrico, Attorney General Jason Miyares co-hosted a Prisoner Reentry Job and Resource Fair in honor of National Second Chance Month. About 300 members of the community who were formally incarcerated attended the event and connected with social service organizations and employers.
The potential employers and other entities attending the event this past weekend were Walmart Distribution, Wegmans, Main Street SteakHouse, Aetna, Southern Kitchen Restaurant, Justice League Coalition and the Virginia Office of Attorney General among others.
The event took place at Children of God Victory Tabernacle Church, where Rev. Derrick L. Peterson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor. Other co-host organizations included the Xi Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (also known as the “Henrico Alphas”), Myra Griffin’s Community Staffing Agency, and Clovia Lawrence’s Project Give Back to Community, Inc.
CHALLENGES TO RE-ENTY. Re-entering society after being incarcerated can be a difficult and complex process. It is often challenging for prisoners to reintegrate for several reasons:
Stigma and Discrimination: One of the most significant barriers that prisoners face is the social stigma and discrimination associated with being a former inmate. Discrimination when looking for housing, employment, or educational opportunities is challenging.
Lack of Support: When a prisoner is released they may lack the support of friends and family and may also lack the necessary skills, such as basic computer literacy.
Financial Hardship: Many prisoners leave prison with very little money or resources that can lead to a cycle of poverty and homelessness.
Psychological Trauma: Imprisonment can be a traumatic and many prisoners struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
FACTS ON U.S. INCARCERATION. The U.S. continues to lead the world in incarceration. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 639 people per 100,000 population incarcerated in 2021 and the largest prison population in the world, with over 2.1 million people currently behind bars.
Additionally, there are significant racial disparities in the U.S. prison system, with Black Americans being incarcerated at a rate more than five times higher than white Americans. The U.S. continues to have a mass incarceration problem, with the number of people incarcerated increasing significantly over the past few decades. In 1970, there were approximately 200,000 people in prison in the U.S. Today, there are over 2.1 million at a cost of over $80 billion per year on prisons and jails.
The U.S. also has some of the longest prison sentences in the world, with many people serving sentences that are decades long, or even life sentences.
IN VIRGINIA, the incarceration rate of 401 per 100,000 population is lower than the national average of 639 per 100,000 population. The prison population in Virginia has a prison population of approximately 29,000 people. Virginia also has a significant number of people in local jails. Much like the rest of the nation, there are significant racial disparities in Virginia's prison system with Black Virginians being incarcerated at a rate more than five times higher than white Virginians.
Virginia is known for having some of the harshest sentencing laws in the country, with mandatory minimums for certain offenses and lengthy sentences for others.
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