Did you know out of the 600,000 Americans that are released from prison each year, two-thirds are rearrested within three years? Building awareness and preparing the incarcerated population for reentry is monumental in reducing recidivism rates. Spearheaded by Prison Fellowship in 2017, April is deemed Second Chance Month. Its purpose is to raise awareness of barriers to reentry and focuses on making the most of the second chance they have been given in life.
In honor of Second Chance Month, we sat down with Augie Ghilarducci, President, and COO of 2nd Opportunity. Augie knows firsthand what it’s like to be given a second chance - he was incarcerated himself for 13 years. Throughout his sentence, he realized the need for education and resources within the federal prison system and developed various reentry and employment readiness programs to help his fellow inmates. When he was released, Augie transformed this idea into what 2nd Opportunity is today. The organization aims to empower those dealing with incarceration, addiction and, trauma through courses designed to teach them employment readiness, financial literacy, and more as they take advantage of their second chance.
During the interview, Augie reflects on what it was like for him personally to reenter society after his incarceration and the skills, knowledge, and emotions he struggled with - upon release, Augie had never touched a smartphone and didn’t know what LinkedIn was. He discusses how he took this experience and shaped it into a helpful program to help inmates have a better experience when released. He also mentions how most reentry programs or tips are focused solely on finding a job but, the recently released need more help in terms of financial literacy, soft skills, etc. Often times, these skills are needed before being released and certainly before searching for a job.
Watch the full interview with Augie Ghilarducci: