The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) hosted the inaugural Reentry Summit yesterday at Metro Community College in Omaha. Pathways to Purpose: Meaningful Work Trajectories brought together national reentry experts, state agency leaders, local nonprofit organizations, and employers to tackle barriers regarding second chance hiring and continue to advance Nebraska’s Reentry 2030 goals for economic mobility.
“We are committed to a holistic approach to preparing people for reentry into our communities after incarceration,” said Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. “This is not just a corrections mission to solve; it’s a Nebraska opportunity. Through events like this summit, we continue to build connections with the people and organizations dedicated to partnering with us in this important work.”
The summit included keynote presentations from John Koufos, an expert in reentry and second chance hiring; Joshua Gaines, project manager with Council of State Governments Justice Center; and NDCS Deputy Director Dawn-Renee Smith. Two panel discussions featured second chance employers, workforce development organizations and justice-impacted individuals. Attendees also participated in tabletop discussions to explore strategies for improving job readiness, overcoming barriers to employment and fostering employer collaboration.
Since Nebraska launched the national initiative Reentry 2030 in February 2024, NDCS has remained committed to uniting leaders across the country — at the state and local levels and across justice, workforce, health, and housing sectors — to improve reentry success for people with criminal records. One of these goals is to provide the support so that at least 90 percent of individuals who are released will be gainfully employed within 30 days of parole placement.
“Developing partnerships with community organizations and employers is foundational to our Reentry 2030 goals,” said Dawn-Renee Smith. “The engagement and enthusiasm of those who attended this summit highlighted that we have an incredible amount of support across Nebraska to accomplish this mission.”
Also in 2024, NDCS partnered with Wellness and Equity Innovations to implement the strengths-based 5-Key Model for Reentry and Well-Being Development as the framework for reentry preparation. This model provides a variety of rehabilitative services in five different keys areas: positive relationships, positive social engagement, meaningful work trajectories, effective coping strategies, and healthy thinking patterns. Each category focuses on specific needs through a variety of programs and encourages individuals to be proactive in choosing how they focus their personal development before reentry.