Returning to society after spending years—even decades—wrongfully incarcerated is anything but easy. The complex trauma and barriers that clients face doesn’t end when they are released.
Freed and exonerated people are challenged with many obstacles upon returning to their communities including financial and emotional distress, difficulty finding housing, securing healthcare and employment, and social stigmatization.
In response to this, MTIP recognized the urgent need to provide support to our clients in developing their reentry plans, to ensure a smooth and successful transition back to community. In 2023 MTIP was honored to be the recipient of a planning grant from the Montana Healthcare Foundation. The project aimed to improve behavioral and physical health outcomes and overall quality of life for reentering community members, thus increasing their chances for lasting post-carceral success.
This grant allowed MTIP to begin expanding our scope of client services, by implementing a new social services program that allows for case planning to begin while individuals are still incarcerated and addresses the daily needs of our freed clients including connecting them with community resources to healthcare, employment, housing, and mental health and emotional support.
Our Social Services Advocate and program leader, Ali Lacayo began working for MTIP in January of 2024, and has worked closely with our clients to develop needs assessments as well as setting life goals to navigate their reentry transitions.
The grant also allowed MTIP to provide stipends to University of Montana School of Social Work practicum students – expanding MTIP’s program capacity and providing students with direct client experience and engagement with community partners to form new relationships and develop resources.
“It’s been very humbling working with our clients, and at the same time self rewarding because we are trying to help folks that have been failed by the system,” said Ali. “Having to trust people again after being told for years that you were guilty for something you didn’t do, can be extremely challenging. Just being there to support them with basic needs and help them figure out their short and long term life goals is really important.”
Ali taps into their own lived experience as an impacted and formerly incarcerated person, to take a trauma-informed and client-centered approach to their work. They believe in the importance of meeting clients where they are, by empowering them and honoring their self determination.
“We’ve been able to help our clients with everything from securing medicare and SNAP benefits, to finding employment, as well as applying for direct client support grants which help relieve some of the financial burden they are faced with,” said Ali.
“Even just talking with clients on the phone each week, I learn a lot about their hobbies, passions, or challenges they are going through, and I’m able to show them that there are people who they can count on and will support them,” said Ali.
While our social services program is still fairly new, Ali looks forward to growing the resources available to clients and partnering with more community reentry organizations.
“This job has been very fulfilling for me,” Ali said. “I’m excited to grow our organization more and help our clients to reach their goals.”
Supporting MTIP means giving people the ability to reunite with their families and communities, and a chance for them to re-establish their lives and heal after wrongful conviction.
In addition to providing support for our clients through our social services program, MTIP has worked to develop other ways that you can get involved to support our clients in their reentry:
MTIP to Launch: Free To Be Walking Fund
We are excited to announce the launch of our Free To Be Walking Fund next Friday! The fund will provide direct support for clients’ immediate daily life needs, offering freedom for those who have lived through the horrors of wrongful conviction to move forward with the process of healing and re-establishing their lives.
Follow us on social media @Bigskyinnocence to stay tuned for the Free To Be Walking Fund launch and updates on the efforts of our social services program!