Re-imagining how we receive and support ex-offenders

What is X Factor? 

Inspired by the work The Collaboratory did for the Montgomery County Office of ReEntry, the initiative is run exclusively BY and FOR ex-offenders. The starting point for this effort is to change how the community sees ex-offenders, by establishing a Citizen Service Corp, that will be engaged in highly visible good works in the community. The group is focused on developing a peer support network, while also starting to address workforce develop and affordable housing, the two issues that represent the biggest challenges for the formerly incarcerated. 

Background

In Ohio, one in 25 adults is in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole, ranking behind only

Georgia, Idaho, the District of Columbia, Texas and Massachusetts; in 1982, this figure was

one in 1163 . Montgomery County residents constitute approximately 5.22% of all

commitments to an Ohio prison. At the time of incarceration, 42% of inmates from

Montgomery County lacked a high school diploma or a General Education Degree (GED),

54% were unemployed, 40% abused alcohol, and 75% abused other drugs. It is safe to

assume that these challenges create continuing barriers post-incarceration. Even those who

do not return to prison are often condemned to live life on the margins of society. Given the

significant obstacles faced by these individuals, most returning citizens returning to THE

Miami Valley RegionMontgomery County are in need of assistance in order to re-establish

themselves as productive citizens in our community.

Each year, roughly 1,500 people from Montgomery County are released from prison.

Roughly 30% of these ultimately return to prison, often due to the commission of new

crimes. Montgomery Country Reentry leaders note a real obstacle for nearly all of these is

the dearth of work opportunities. In fact, over 600 barriers in Ohio law restrict employment

opportunities for people with criminal records. This is a problem because stable employment

and livable wages are important predictors of successful reentry and desistance from crime.

Employment saves taxpayer dollars on prisons and public benefits.

Vision

Being a formerly incarcerated individual does not define who a person was, is, or will be.

The vision of X FACTOR is to create a national model for the reintegration experience of

formerly incarcerated people. Allowing people with records to earn an honest second chance

is a key element of the vision of X FACTOR. Integrating humanity and compassion in the

daily lives of returning citizens is an elementary component of the organization. People are

not defined by the fact that they have served time. X FACTOR defines all individuals by

their humanity and contributions to the common good.