Graduated Reentry: A Path Forward

November 15, 2023

By DOC Communications (email) Department of Corrections

The Graduated Reentry Program (GRE) is a program within the Department of Corrections that aims to allow for more normalization for incarcerated individuals in their release process. The program began in 2018 as part of a legislative initiative and was expanded upon in 2021. The initiative began by allowing participants to transfer to a Reentry Center or to Electronic Home Monitoring for the final 5 months of an individuals’ sentence. The expansion in 2021 increased the time allowed from 5 months to 18 months. This time served under supervision provides opportunities for individuals to secure employment within the communities they will be living in.

"GRE gave me the tools that I needed to be successful upon release," said Chelsey Johnson, a graduate of GRE. "The program didn’t just hold me accountable to something, but it also gave me all the resources that I needed in order to set myself up to be successful when I got out of prison. Everything that I’ve done through GRE, in one way or another, has set me up for success," said Johnson. "You start to believe in yourself, and think ‘I’m not just a DOC number, I have value. I have something to offer the world.’"

Through this process of normalization, the department hopes to see a decrease in recidivism from the programs graduates.

"My life today is full of meaning and purpose and I’m excited what the future holds," said Johnson. “GRE has been everything that I needed to get my life back together.”

As of June 2023, 1,532 participants have successfully completed the Graduated Reentry Program.