Advocacy and Omelets: PACE, Inc. Hosts Their 1st Annual Advocacy Breakfast

Local Community Leaders and Organizations Discuss Re-Entry Efforts in Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN: On Wednesday, PACE, Inc., an organization that helps people with criminal histories successfully transition back into the community, hosted their first annual Advocacy Breakfast. With a keynote address by Mayor Hogsett--who recently rolled out a new crime prevention plan in 2017--and a speech by City Council President, Vop Osili, this event allowed those in the community and beyond to hear about the re-entry efforts that PACE, Inc. and other organizations are doing. In Marion County the recidivism rate is 46%, but with intervention and assistance from organizations like PACE, Inc., that rate decreases significantly--in 2016 PACE, Inc. had a total recidivism rate of 4.2%.

Mayor Hogsett spoke about the city’s new plan, HIRED, helping individuals returning from incarceration stating, “This sets in motion a fast track for that second chance, that second chance that we know is in our power to provide to each and every one of our neighbors as full re-entry becomes an attainable threshold with paycheck in hand and wrap-around services in place.”

The event also featured talks from leading traumatic brain injury expert Dr. Lance Trexler who help to formulate the partnership between Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana and PACE, Inc. to help identify and assess those individuals who have been incarcerated and have a TBI. PACE, Inc. also had one of their own staff members speak of his experience as a former client and about how re-entry efforts helped him recover from relapsing and re-offending. Several, state legislators were also in attendance to hear about these local efforts. PACE, Inc. is one of the only re-entry organizations in the state of Indiana and they help assist about 5,000 people every year with finding gainful employment, relapse and addiction services, mental health issues and a number of other services.

About PACE, Inc.: PACE, Inc., is a 501(c) non-profit located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1960, they are the premier organization for re-entry services in the state and works to ensure that people returning to the community from incarceration have the tools and resources to successfully reenter which promotes public safety through effective re-entry and enhances community stabilization through reduced crime and increased productiveness.