Concordance, a nonprofit reentry program based in St. Louis, has announced a $7 million grant from Ballmer Group to expand its mission of ending mass incarceration, which disproportionately affects African Americans.

According to Concordance, approximately 77 percent of people released from prison are rearrested within five years. By offering integrated, holistic, and evidence-informed services that help graduates reenter society as heads of households and engage with their children's lives, Concordance has reduced recidivism — a major cause of mass incarceration — and cut reincarceration rates among participants by 44 percent. The grant will enable Concordance to scale its model; in 2020, Concordance launched a $50 million campaign to expand its work to eleven new cities, and plans to start operations in the first of those cities are under way.

"The best way to end mass incarceration is to end reincarceration," said Concordance founder, president, and CEO Danny Ludeman. "The cycle of reincarceration is an underlying systemic issue that destroys families and communities across our country. But we've found a way to reduce recidivism — by focusing on giving formerly incarcerated individuals a holistic array of support they need to heal and succeed."

"Mass incarceration disproportionately affects Black families and communities, especially young Black men, and over ten million children across the U.S. who have experienced parental incarceration at some point during their childhood," said Loren Harris, Ballmer Group's executive director of national impact. "These inequities have severe economic, societal, and individual implications, and the effects can last for generations. We are proud to partner with Concordance to make sure that more returning citizens and their families have a real chance to succeed."

(Photo credit: Concordance)