BEGINNING TODAY, Inc.
A Better Way
Beginning Today, Inc. is a 501C3 agency dedicated to the empowerment and restoration of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. The upsurge in female incarceration rates since the 1990s has generally been attributed to the increased participation of females in substance use and the get-tough policies of the war on drugs. Multiple sources have demonstrated that significant numbers of women have entered the prison system as a result of drug convictions and property crimes related to their drug use. As a result, the female prison populations have experienced a dramatic increase, outpacing the increase in the incarceration rates of men. Nationwide statistics reveal the total number of female prisoners has steadily increased from the early 1990’s to the present day. Following the rise in prison population, parole populations too have continued to rise over recent decades.
Reentry is a difficult process for both women and men. Both must comply with conditions of supervised release, achieve financial stability, access health care, locate housing, and try to reunite with their families. Women offenders face additional demands associated with their gender. Recent studies found that the needs of women inmates differ in many respects—physically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially—from those of their male counterparts. The implementation of re-entry programs specifically designed with those differences in mind can effectively address the needs of female inmates and identify factors which may impede their ability to succeed post-release.
Services
We offer a pre-release program and a re-entry program for our clients.
A Better Way is a comprehensive 10-week pre-release program, modeled on the CBT method of coaching. This program is designed specifically for those individuals that are incarcerated but within 12 months of being released.
The core concepts of our program are:
- Awareness
- Change
- Positive Emotions
Beginning Today, Inc. is a re-entry program that focuses in the areas of Workforce Development.
Specifically:
- Interpersonal Skills Building
- Goal Setting
- Resume
- Dressing To Be Successful
- Computer Literacy
- GED Preparation
- Interviewing Techniques
- Skills Assessment