April is Second Chance Month
What is a second chance? A second chance is a new opportunity to succeed after a previous failure or mistake. Maryland Correctional Enterprises (MCE) offers a series of classes specifically to support and prepare our program participants for reentry into the community. The Continuing Allocation of Reentry Services (C.A.R.E.S.) program not only expands on the hard and soft skills that MCE provides but integrates classes focused on additional skills aimed at providing additional tools, encouraging the motivation for a positive and successful reentry journey.
We offer classes in:
- Employment Readiness
- Healthy Relationships
- Reentry Prep and Life Skills
- Financial Literacy
- Prepare
We have recently added two new classes:
- Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
- Personal Accountability
MCE has partnered with Industrial Bank, a Minority-Owned Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Washington, DC, to assist our program participants with opening savings accounts or an interest-bearing CD to encourage saving for the future. Through this partnership, program participants are provided a 1.5-hour workshop on the essentials, how banking works, the importance of saving and budgeting, and understanding and managing credit. During incarceration, participants are not assessed banking fees.
MCE remains dedicated to providing job training and reentry support to our program participants to assist them in fully integrating back into society upon their release. I believe it’s never too late to start over, but starting over with the tools you need to be successful is essential, and MCE provides those tools.
For more information on C.A.R.E.S. programming offered by MCE, please visit our website at https://mce.md.gov/Reentry.
Written by: Marsha G.