Returning Citizens Program adds mentoring to services

Greenville Technical College’s Returning Citizens Program at the Phillis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) provides case management activities to remove barriers for citizens who are transitioning from the criminal justice system to productive lives. Of the 57 former inmates who have sought help through the program since it opened in August 2020, 100% were able to find immediate employment.

A new mentoring program offered by the program is designed to help those who have returned as they continue to make progress. Weekly meetings, in both one-on-one and group formats, provide the tools and resources to help individuals become self-sufficient and achieve upward mobility.

The GTC Returning Citizens Program at PWCC is staffed by a director of re-entry, Sammie Stroud, who works with other agencies located at PWCC to serve those in transition. The college’s Quick Connections director, Stephanie Sherman, joins Stroud at the PWCC to assist individuals with education and career planning. Services meet both immediate and longer-term needs. Evaluation and case management services help participants follow the best course of action and determine what is needed to overcome barriers. Re-entry education allows participants to overcome criminal backgrounds, learn skills that can enhance career readiness, gain conflict resolution and anger management knowledge, and prepare to enter Greenville Technical College’s Quick Jobs program, which provides job skills, usually in 90 days or less. Alcohol and substance abuse support groups are available for those requiring this assistance.

Stroud has recently been elected chairman of the Greenville Re-entry Coalition, an organization dedicated to addressing homelessness and advocating for returning citizens through initiatives such as the “ban the box” campaign to remove the checkoff box indicating a criminal record on job applications.