Safer Foundation is a national leader in prisoner re-entry and employment programs. A nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Safer was founded more than 45 years to help people leaving prison find jobs so they could successfully transition back into their communities. But people with criminal records faced a stigma that made securing employment difficult.The situation is even more dire today, especially in the United States. Despite accounting for only 5 percent of the world population, the U.S. leads the world with its incarceration rate. And an overwhelming majority of individuals returning from prison face more complex challenges to getting and keeping a job. This means the services Safer Foundation provides are even more important. In fact, we know, and an abundance of research has shown, that the most difficult barrier—and the single-most crucial factor—to successful reintegration is a job. When our clients find jobs, they become valuable contributors to their families and their communities, while saving taxpayers millions of dollars.Re-entry is now recognized as an important issue that has captured our nation's attention and support, and Safer Foundation is proud to be a leader in the discussion and advocacy efforts occurring on the local, state and national levels.
