I'm Matt Moore, senior director of Reentry Services at CoreCivic, and I'd like to share a bit about our reentry efforts over the past year. Despite the continued challenges that COVID-19 presented, I'm proud of our reentry professionals who achieved great things in 2021. We were able to offer new, life-changing programming to those in our care, and also improve on several other existing programs. All of this was done with one goal in mind: helping those in our care break through the barriers to reentry and successfully reintegrate into their communities.

One area in particular that we focused on in 2021 was our support and treatment for those in our care who struggle with substance use disorders. In addition to the various substance use programming we offer, we launched the Urge to Use Scale, a researched and validated system designed to track an inmate's urge to drink or use drugs while in treatment in our facilities. We also implemented Breaking Free, a digital substance abuse treatment program delivered on tablets to Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, Lake Erie Correctional Institution, and Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex.

Beyond support for sobriety, we also offered training on a wide range of reentry skills. From interactive video learning curriculum delivered through Acceleron, to My Song for Life, a music-based program designed to facilitate personal growth and change, our programs focused on both personal development and building job skills. Securing successful employment post-release often makes the difference between living as a productive member of society and returning to criminal behavior patterns.

Some of our exciting, new career training programs include:

• Persevere, a computer coding program that trains student-inmates to be full-stack web developers, is currently implemented at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, Red Rock Correctional Center, and Saguaro Correctional Center.
• Home Builders Institute, a construction program that provides an opportunity for certification as a pre-apprentice in carpentry, is currently implemented at Crowley County Correctional Facility.
• Employability Assessment, a nationally recognized work readiness credential that was piloted at Red Rock Correctional Center in partnership with Phoenix College, has expanded to Bent County Correctional Facility, Citrus County Detention Facility, Coffee Correctional Facility, Crossroads Correctional Center, Crowley County Correctional Facility, Jenkins Correctional Center, Lake City Correctional Facility, Saguaro Correctional Center and Wheeler Correctional Facility.

We plan to launch several new online programs at multiple facilities this year to deliver high-quality programs to those in our care, including self-directed courses in education, life skills, job preparation, and cognitive-behavioral interventions, as well as job search programs and interview preparation.

Reentry Services also welcomed several new team members in 2021, each bringing skills and experience that will help us refine our processes and expand our understanding of current trends in reentry programming.

Reducing recidivism isn't an easy task. However, by using evidence-based practices to inform our efforts and remaining dedicated to the goal, we can help remove barriers and set up individuals for success.