Website Resources For People With Criminal Records

​A listing of organizations that provide information and assistance is provided below.  
​No endorsements or recommendations are intended.  This listing is for informational purposes only.  It is up to you to determine appropriate care or whether the nature of information is correct.

Absolute Advocacy 
https://www.absoluteadvocacy.org
Chances are you've been riding along a rough road. At Absolute Advocacy, they believe in second chances. They believe in you. Whether you're seeking Mental Health services, DWI or substance abuse services, or drug education classes, they have your needs and best interests close to their hearts and will provide you with the best assessment, prevention and educational services Cabarrus & Mecklenburg counties offer. (North Carolina)

National Reentry Resource Center
https://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org
The NRRC was established by the Second Chance Act (Public Law 110-199). Signed into law in 2008 and reauthorized in 2018, the Second Chance Act authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide reentry services—including employment assistance, substance use treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services—and to support corrections and supervision practices that aim to reduce recidivism.

Career One Stop
https://www.careeronestop.org​
CareerOneStop’s Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders website offers information, tips, and resources to help people with criminal convictions overcome barriers they might face in their job search including:
  • State-specific resources for help with basic needs or getting ready to job search
  • Work restrictions that apply to certain convictions
  • Paying for training or college
​
Families for Sensible Drug Policy (FSDP) 
www.fsdp.org 
​This is a 501c3 non-profit organization representing a global coalition of families, professionals, organizations bringing diverse communities together to empower families to advocate to reduce the harmful consequences of oppressive drug policies and increase access to effective substance use disorder treatment.
Cross Roads of Iowa
https://www.crossroadsofiowa.org
As a not for profit organization, Cross Roads of Iowa develops exceptional programs for women, including those in jail or prison, with a focus on wellness, including a holistic approach.

Zoukis Federal Prison Consultants
https://prisonerresource.com
When charged with a federal crime, it can feel as though your life is crashing down. For many in this position, it feels like there is nowhere to turn. It can be terrifying, and the fear of what is to come can be crippling. During this time of crisis, it is essential to quickly get a bearing on what is going on and what the best next steps are to protect yourself, your family, and your future. Enter the Zoukis Consulting Group and their team of highly-qualified federal prison consultants who have established relationships with top federal criminal defense attorneys.

Mission Launch
https://www.mission-launch.org​
​70 Million Americans, or 1-in-3, now have an arrest and/or conviction record. By 2030 that number will be 100 Million. Having a record drastically impacts employment, housing, education, family reunification, and even public assistance.
Hope for Prisoners
https://hopeforprisoners.or
Hope for Prisoners is committed to helping men, women and young adults successfully reenter the workforce, their families, and our community. HOPE for Prisoners works to empower the formerly incarcerated and their families to create a successful future built on strategic leadership and character development. By assisting those fighting for second chances, we strive to serve, build and strengthen our community.

​Prison Fellowship
​https://www.prisonfellowship.org/about/reentry-support/
Every person has dignity and potential. But approximately 1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, and other things they need to reach that potential. Since launching the first Second Chance™ Month in 2017, Prison Fellowship has spearheaded the nationwide effort to raise awareness about these barriers and unlock brighter futures for people with a criminal record.

National Institute of Justice
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/preventing-future-crime-cognitive-behavioral-therapy
​NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice.They are dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. They provide objective and independent knowledge and tools to inform the decision-making of the criminal and juvenile justice communities to reduce crime and advance justice, particularly at the state and local levels.

His Healing Hand
https://hishealinghand.weebly.com
Do you have a criminal background and need help? Does a loved one? His Healing Hand Ministries is a purpose driven ministry working with those behind bars, those returning with a time away, those on probation or parole, or those who just have a criminal past.  The ministry is non denominational and is located in Orlando/Sanford Metro area of Central Florida.

​Help for Felons
​https://helpforfelons.org
This organization is dedicated to providing support and direction to felons, inmates and ex-offenders in every aspect of life. You will find excellent sources and directories in regards to jobs, reentry, legal, financial help, housing and much more. Their goal is to give you the tools that you need to not only live, but to be successful and live a fulfilling life. On their site you will find excellent sources and directories in regards to jobs, reentry, legal, financial help, housing and much more. 

Videos About Incarceration Related To Drug Use

(Video is about 10 minutes)
Criminal defense attorney, Abe Mashni explains the 10 ways law enforcement investigate drug cases. Drug offenses occur when one possesses or sales a narcotic. Charges range from misdemeanor possession, trafficking, to federal trafficking (federal charges are listed and/or explained in a separate section).
​
(Video is about 15 minutes)
In the United States, 67% of inmates released from prison will return having committed a new crime within three years. Simply put, the criminal justice system doesn’t accomplish what it was designed to do. But why is it failing? Having worked in both punishment and rehabilitation, Brandon W. Mathews argues that the solution might be simpler than we thought. ​
(Video is about 8 minutes)
Many inmates in Finland live in “open prisons,” where they are allowed to own a vehicle, leave for work or school, and host overnight guests. Now, the country is funding educational programs where prisoners learn technology skills like artificial intelligence.
(Video is about 5 minutes)
In this week’s Sunday Spotlight, NBC’s Kelly Cobiella travels to Norway and goes inside what’s called one of the most humane prisons in the world and sees why it gets that distinction.
(Video is about 14 minutes)
A prison in Connecticut is taking cues from Germany, where inmates do yoga and have keys to their cells. "60 Minutes" reported on it in 2016.
(Video is about 16 minutes)
From inmates who domesticate wild mustangs, teach financial literacy classes and find catharsis in theater by performing works by William Shakespeare, we visit five facilities with rehabilitation programs that are breaking down the stigmas of prison life.
(Video is about 15 minutes)
More former prisoners are reoffending than ever before. We reveal the latest efforts to break the cycle in the first episode of our new Economist Films series.
(Video is about 4 minutes)
Heated floors, bike rides, and five-star cooking classes. Welcome to prison in Norway. It looks nothing like most prisons in the US. That's because Norway's prison system is designed with three core values in mind: normality, humanity and rehabilitation. The point of incarceration in Norway,
(Video is about 12 minutes)
It was a 70-month federal prison sentence, for a white-collar, non-violent, first-time offense, that introduced Teresa Hodge first-hand to the justice system and mass incarceration in America. 
(Video is about 18 minutes)
Maurice (Moe) Egan grew up in East Oakland surrounded by drugs and crime. Even though he found success in sports and later working for Coretta Scott King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, his drug use and criminal behavior spiraled out of control.

Videos About The War On Drugs

(Video is about 11 minutes)
"Nightline" embedded with the Coast Guard, which seizes three times the cocaine as all other U.S. law enforcement agencies combined, on its mission to intercept drug boats in international waters.
(Video is about 13 minutes)
CBC's Paul Hunter travels to Nogales, Arizona to spend a day with a border agent patrolling the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
(Video is about 15 minutes)
Right now, in Australia, you can get the potent effects of ecstasy, cocaine or cannabis straight over the counter and completely legally - thanks to the booming industry in synthetic drugs. By mimicking their illicit counterparts with clever chemistry, the drug makers can stay one step ahead of the law. And while our police and politicians play catch up, the men behind these crafty alternatives have become a new breed of drug lord - untouchable, unstoppable and very, very rich.
(Video is about 11 minutes)
As the world has been transfixed by the opioid crisis in North America, another crisis, just as serious, has been unfolding almost unreported across Africa. The addictive prescription painkiller Tramadol has exploded in popularity, used by everyone from workers trying to cope with long hours and grueling labor, to university students looking to have a good time. It’s even the drug of choice for members of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, fueling their violence. 
(Video is about 25 minutes). *WARNING-Must be watch on YouTube-contains triggers and graphic images of drug use
The drug Fentanyl is fifty times stronger than heroin and has claimed the lives of at least 60 people in the last 8 months in the UK. Cameras follow users in Hull to find out how their lives have been affected. 
(Video is about 15 minutes)
Marijuana has been legalized in 15 states and Washington D.C. Meanwhile, drug use and overdose death rates are rising with the opioid crisis. And the U.S. has locked up more people in prison than ever; one in five of the almost 2.3 million incarcerated people are behind bars for a drug offense.
“It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” 
― Germany Kent