Only time will tell. I know from my personal experience nothing came from this program. I'm a first time offender who doesn't need to know how to interview, learn life skills , nor how to create something as simple as a resume. I was arrested for drug trafficking but was sentence to a incare program. Since I'v been home four years ago I managed to work as a Risk Analyst, while completing a trade along side of taking college classes working on my Bachlors. I recently was fired from my position becuase of my past. I need help. Can anyone point me in the direction of employment other then stocking a shelf or housekeeping.

Dear Mr. Barber:

As a re-entry worker, I believe that anyone first or 100th offender can benefit from life skills training.  You may not need the very basics, but we can all use the information that will make us better.  As for your needs assessment, I believe that your have great potential, however just check your article and its many grammatical and spelling errors.  You do need help and you should not be ashamed but humbled to have any source of employment.  There is no shame in an honest living whatever the job title.  You have skills that should allow you to open your own business.  The re-entry program we have developed is making sure men and women draw on their entreprenuerial spirits and skills.  Encouraging them to take control of their own lives and financial situations.  

I pray you find humility along with much success in your second chance.  But brother trust me anyone can benefit from lifeskills training especially an ex-drug dealer.  We have to have lifeskills training to teach us how not to out slick ourselves; to teach us how to make do with a paycheck and not a package-OK!.  Plus these programs are excellent for networking.  

Hold on brother and pray the our Lord guides you to the right choices.

Stand Up!

Sakinah bint Hyman

Muslim Families Outside

(302) 507-8784

I know Ron Cuie from when he was a client of mine. I can't say anything specific because of confidentiality. (It was during the time when he was dealing with some of the problems mentioned in the article.)

I will say that I think Mayor Nutter made an excellent choice in picking Mr. Cuie for this office. He always demonstrated amazing initiative as a client.

As an ex-offender myself, I am always happy to see ex-offenders moving into positions where we can help each other. I think that it is a major mistake that many programs that claim to help ex-offenders refuse to hire them! I'm really glad that Mayor Nutter can see what an a great asset an ex-offender, such as Mr. Cuie, can be in this field!

Good afternoon,

I've been searching the web for information regarding programs for ex-offenders.  My 22 yr old son will be released next week from a prison in DE where he served time for VOP.  He was told that he should leave DE and so, has decided that he wants to come live with me and his sister in Philadelphia, PA.  He was raised a to know wrong from right but as a teen and young adult aloowed himself to be "lead" and not a "leader" thereby, making "poor choices".  He's come to me (and his sister) hoping that we will give him another chance to prove he can make better choices than in the past and we have agreed to help him so long as he's truly sincere about this decision.  We've always been a close family and I believe his incarceration caused him to realize how important we are to him.

I'm looking for information regarding finding employment, education, housing and any other programs to provide him towards becoming independent and financially stable and keeping him from feeling he has to resort to negative activities.

Just the fact Mayor Nutter has taken the initiative to put this program in place and the decision to choose the person he did should give hope to anyone who has a criminal record.  I've been searching and searching and unless one networks with people who know people who know people...it's very difficult to find programs for ex-offenders.  It makes sense to me that this surely could be a step in the right direction towards keeping ex-offenders from the "revolving door" syndrome as I've heard it called in articles.

Please respond to pdm4real@yahoo.com.  Thank you.

Ex-Offender programs which lead to employment are long past due in Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter is on to something good, and should be given our support. However, I pray that he addresses ex-offender programs in Philadelphia that only service 'non-violent offenders.' A man or woman who have served their time should be given equal opportunity to gain decent employment. No ex-offender program should be geared just for so-called non-violent ex-offenders. Otherwise, this program have great potential to be a model for other states throughout this nation. The African community should especially be behind the Mayor's program for ex-offender's since it is our people who are overrepresented in the prisons and on some kind of probation/parole in Philadelphia.

I applaud Mayor Nutter for his efforts to address the problems of ex offenders being given a chance to gain  equal opportunities through education.  I pray for all of us.   We all need to stand behind supporting this issue because without helping one another by giving everyone equal opportunities for employment,housing, training and basic life skills we will all be affected by the outcome of our society.   We're all in the same Village!

I hope this reentry program does right by it's clients and isn't just another program filled with titles and egos.  This population really needs help.  Mr. Cuie, please deliver.

James goto MentorshipOnline.com and contact me there

What is going on in Philadelphia is the example for all of America (and some think the World). Whenever someone is given a chance to change by a door being open, good things will come out of that door not being slammed in the person's face, knocking them on their buttock. Unfortunately, even though I graduated Magna *** Laude from Montgomery County Community College in 2003 and in 2006 from Villanova with a 2.91 G.P.A., I have been unable to be helped by the Philadelphia's Reentry Program because they are curtailing their resources only to assist Philadelphia residents. I work in Philadelphia and live Chester and this still is not enough to gain their assistance. However, there focus is making the World a better place for me to work in, even though I am not being directly assisted. Only because I am an Ex-Offender, I'm presently forced to work for $10 an hour, under the table part-time for 21 hours a week. Yes, with two college degrees, I only bring home $210 a week. My lack of financial success is why so many others are not ready to go to school or change. The good thing is I have not let this deter me and I continue to look for a better opportunity and the day when I am give a "Second-Chance" and not disenfranchised from the working world and the benefits our our American Society

I been in the reentry program for about a year and some months now and i have not found employment yet. I applied my self in all the right ways after coming home from federal detention center. Like what else to do but to support my two kids and wife but i can't cause i have not had a second chance to do that. I'm 22 yrs old, just got my diploma,also my wife, live on welfare checks and my son ssi. I want better and a change for my self and family. Never will i go back but if i have to ..... when i go i know that i WILL MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I LEAVE AGAIN THAT THEY WILL BE COMFORTABLE BY ANY MEANS

This article is great.  I happen to view it due to the most recent legal problem my family has experienced.  We basically are humble hard working people and  we are currently dealing with one of my neices being sentence to one year on a robbery and conspiracy charge.  She was a senior in Temple and now she is a prisoner in Muncy, the reason she is in Muncy is due to the fact the judge did not want to chance her getting out if County Prison for over-crowding before her year is up.    I just wish I had someone to talk to about all of this and what can she do to continue to strive in the right direction and get her degree and become a productive member of society, I am just concerned that since she is a 1st time offender, and the circumstance around the case were crazy from the begining ending with the Judge changing and the lawyer being fired from a prominent law firm.... I can be reached at taffy816@hotmail.com Thank you for hearing me out and having this article on line.

the philly reentry program is not mayor nutter's baby, it has been around for a minute and i graduated from the program in 2007, it took some time but i have been working now over a year in the job the program assisted me to get.  I cant speak for this Mr. Cuie dude, but dont neglect the fact that i know over 400 ex-offenders have graduated and gotten jobs through the program before mayor nutter in 2007, NOW, i thank mayor nutter for keeping and intensifying the program to be more effective but kudos to the previous workers and staff in 2007.  Holla at them for there work.

Good Evening

I am happy mayor nutter did make this program. I have my older brother coming out of prison in november. He needs a second chance. My big brother did his time. What he did do was be a man about the situation. Thats why I am proud of him. I don't care what it takes my brother will be okay. I know one thing he won't be back in prison. Please if someone have any info about ex-offender job placement please e-mail me.

Thank you

Clerkpah@hotmail.com