About the ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP)
The ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP) focuses on improving employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people (FIPs) and people with a criminal record. Through a partnership between the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and the Center for Justice at Columbia University, the program consists of two initiatives that are designed to complement one another by educating incarcerated individuals, future business leaders (MBA students), and potential employers:
Delivering Business Training to Incarcerated Persons
Based on the pioneering work by Professor Greg Fairchild, ’02BUS/PhD, at the University of Virginia, MBA students are trained to teach incarcerated students inside of prisons. Leveraging the academic expertise at Columbia Business School, and in partnership with Resilience Education, Hour Children, Osborne Association, and local facilities, we teach a three-course curriculum covering financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, problem-solving and consensus building. This initiative is intended to provide valuable training to incarcerated persons, and to change the perspectives of the MBA students who teach these courses, around talent and hiring of FIPs.
ReEntry Business Forums for Employers
These Business Forums develop a network of businesses, reentry organizations, investors, and policy makers to develop a business case for hiring FIPs and people with criminal records. We also develop materials that highlight effective practices and address practical challenges employers may face when they consider hiring from this talent pool. Our goal is to engage businesses to provide FIPs with career-track jobs that lead to financial independence.
Participating organizations include:
- Autodesk
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Drive Change
- Fresh Direct
- Hour Children
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- JustLeadershipUSA
- M.A.D.E Transitional Services
- NationSwell
- Partnership for New York City
- Pigeonly
- Refoundry
- Resilience Education
- SHRM Foundation
- SkillSmart
- The Fortune Society
- The Marshall Project
- The Osborne Association
- The Trone Center for Justice and Equality
- Wash Cycle Laundry
- American Prison Data Systems
- Beck Institute
- Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
- Brooklyn Workforce Innovations
- Bureau of Justice Assistance
- Center for Employment Opportunities
- Center for Justice
- Columbia University
- Community Service Society of NY
- Entertainment Partners
- FedCap
- Getting Out and Staying Out
- Greyston
- Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
- Katal Center for Health Equity and Justice
- Malta Justice Initiative
- Mayor's Office of Workforce Development
- MindOpen Learning Strategies
- National H.I.R.E. Network
- National Workrights Institute
- Neighborhood Benches
- Nonprofit Finance Fund
- NYC Center for Youth Employment
- Per Scholas
- Petey Greene Program
- Phipps Neighborhoods
- Second U Foundation
- Shake Shack
- Solutions Journalism Network
- Strive International
- The Council of State Governments Justice Center
- The Doe Fund
- The HOPE Program
- Thicket Labs
- WhenPeopleWork
- Women's Prison Association
- Year Up
- Youth Represent
- Zebra Strategies