Claire, 25, began her involvement with the Union County 100 Families Initiative during her time at the Union County Jail. In March 2022, she joined the newly-established Reentry Program led by coordinator Nicole Smith and participated in reentry and relapse prevention classes with the Hannah Pregnancy Resource Center (HPRC). Since 2018, HPRC representatives have been assisting female inmates with the goal of helping them regain custody of their children.
Claire had been incarcerated over ten times. With two children and another on the way, she voiced her intention to transform her life to be there for her kids. Her plans included getting clean, staying clean, securing a job, and finding her own place to live.
After eight and a half months in Union County Jail, Claire went on to Community Correction Center for ninety days, where she gave birth to her third child, a daughter, who went into foster care at that time.
When Claire had completed her sentence, she contacted Smith from the reentry program and they came to the 100 Families Initiative offices in Union County to update Claire's assessment and progress.
She was reunited with her youngest daughter and started taking the parenting classes offered at HPRC that same day, which helped her earn points to get necessities for the baby. Within a month, Claire got a job, started taking GED classes and attending recovery meetings, and was able to purchase a car.
She received a promotion at her job in May 2024. On June 12, 2024, Claire was presented with her diploma from the Adult Education Department. Best of all, Claire is diligently reestablishing a healthy presence in her children’s lives.
Claire says that the most significant barrier to her and many others’ success is transportation. Transportation is vital to going to work, attending meetings, self-help classes, and even grocery stores.
With the community working together to provide wraparound support to Claire, she has been able to break a cycle of recidivism and begin a new path of restoration for her future and her family.
Smart Justice is a magazine, podcast, and continuing news coverage from the nonprofit Restore Hope and covers the pursuit of better outcomes on justice system-related issues, such as child welfare, incarceration, and juvenile justice. Our coverage is solutions-oriented, focusing on the innovative ways in which communities are solving issues and the lessons that have been learned as a result of successes and challenges.
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