Resources

Helpful resources for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Nationwide Organizations

National Reentry Resource Center

The National Reentry Network

Anti Recidivism Coalition (ARC)

Alliance for Higher Education in Prison

National Reentry Resource Center

California Organizations

Rising Scholars Network

Project Rebound

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

Anti Recidivism Coalition (Los Angeles & Sacramento)

A New Way of Life Reentry Project (Los Angeles)

Homeboy Industries (Los Angeles)

Empowering Women Impacted by Incarceration (Sacramento)

Amity Foundation (California & Arizona)

The Last Mile (San Francisco)

Root & Rebound (Oakland)

Prisoner Reentry Network (Oakland)

Southwest Organizations

AZ Common Ground (Phoenix, AZ)

Hope For Prisoners (Las Vegas)

Truth Be Told (Austin, TX)

Prison Education Foundation (Spanish Fork, UT)

Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado (Denver, CO)

The Reentry Initiative (Longmont, CO)

Northwest Organizations

Pioneer Human Services (Seattle)

Post-Prison Education Program (Seattle)

Prison Scholars Fund (Seattle)

Northwest Regional Reentry Center (Portland, OR)

Northeast Organizations

Refoundry (Brooklyn, NY)

National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated (Chicago)

Chopping for Change (Cleveland, OH)

New Leaf New Life (Bloomington, IN)

Blue Jacket (Fort Wayne, IN)

Boston Project Rebound Reentry Services (Boston, MA)

Southeast Organizations

JumpStart (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio)

Turn90 (N. Charleston & Columbia, SC)

Renascence (Montgomery, Alabama)

Innocence Project of Florida (Tallahassee, FL)

almosthomefilm

Last weekend we had the Celebration of Life event

Last weekend we had the Celebration of Life event for Luis. ❤️
There was so much love and appreciation for the incredible person that Luis was and countless stories of the positive impact he had on so many people.
#almosthomefilm #restinpower

These last few months have been difficult coping w

These last few months have been difficult coping with the loss of Luis. 💔

While he had many recent successes in his life, he still struggled with his mental health.
It’s a stark reminder of the many formerly incarcerated people who have dealt with depression, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, and suicide.

Mental health is often not addressed enough, both within prison walls and on the outside.
Most people do not receive the care they need for it while incarcerated. Once released, they are not only faced with the challenge of a new lifestyle and responsibilities on the outside, but also the state of their mental health which has often not been addressed at all.

We hope Luis’ voice in our film can help be a voice for the voiceless so that less people have to suffer in silence. 🙏🏼
#mentalhealthawareness #almosthomefilm #RIP #formerlyincarcerated

Last weekend we had our first film festival screen

Last weekend we had our first film festival screening since we lost Luis.
It was hard, but we were thankful to be able to share his story with the audience in Utah and continue to honor his legacy by bringing attention to the issues he cared so much about. ♥️
#almosthomefilm #inmemoriam #docutah

We are devasted to inform our followers that on De

We are devasted to inform our followers that on December 13, 2023, Luis Jimenez, one of the amazing students featured in our documentary, passed away, leaving behind two young sons, his mother, and his beloved Palomar College community.

In our documentary, Luis shared his life story with us in hopes the film would prompt systemic change. He was passionate about criminal justice reform and education for formerly incarcerated individuals like him. Even though he was very accomplished and recently completed his bachelor’s degree with honors at UCLA, he talked very openly about his struggles with addiction and previous suicide attempts. We want the film to become an even louder call to action and to continue Luis’s legacy of activism and social reform. Rest in Power, Luis Jimenez. It was an honor to know you, and we will always appreciate you letting us be a part of your inspirational life. #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #endthestigma #988helpline

Almost Home is now an official selection for the B

Almost Home is now an official selection for the Borrego Springs Film Festival! Our film will be screened on January 13th at 10:00 a.m. Click the link in our bio for tickets and more information! #almosthomefilm #borregospringsfilmfestival #officialselection

“I tell folks, ‘We know how to run streets. We

“I tell folks, ‘We know how to run streets. We know how to run the game. If we use that same energy in the classroom, you’re gonna be successful here.’ Even if the individual does not continue with school, they can be successful in life because [they can say] ‘I built this self esteem, I built this way to communicate that gets a job, helps me keep a job, helps me communicate with my family or my kids.’ And that in of itself is success." -Martin Leyva, Palomar College Transitions Program Founder #almosthomefilm #transitionsprogram #lifeafterincarceration #educationnotincarceration

What potential talents do you have that are untapp

What potential talents do you have that are untapped?
Richie has been a talented artist specializing in calligraphy and street art for many years. Despite the twenty years he spent within a prison cell, Richie has continued practicing his love for art. Today, he’s able to share that with his family and the rest of the world. #almosthomefilm #secondchances #potential #streetart

We are so excited to announce that Almost Home is

We are so excited to announce that Almost Home is an official selection for the Mesa International Film Festival! Our film will be shown this Saturday, Oct. 28th at 1 pm. For tickets and more information, visit the link in our bio! @mesafilmfestival #mesainternationalfilmfestival #MIFF2023 #AlmostHomeFilm

Here is an exclusive look at one of the deleted sc

Here is an exclusive look at one of the deleted scenes from Almost Home. During the process of making this film, we had to make many agonizing decisions to cut impactful content that didn’t fit for a variety of reasons. We loved this scene with Kirk Wirth so much, and we wish we could have found a place for it in the film. Kirk is one of the most inspiring and kindhearted people we had the pleasure of filming with, and his story illustrates the many challenges individuals face when they are released from prison. #almosthomefilm #reentrymatters #realityofreentry

We’ve received another review of our film and ar

We’ve received another review of our film and are so grateful for the kind words and response.
“Almost Home: Life After Incarceration, a documentary by Bill Wisneski, sheds light on the United States prison system and the vicious cycle of recidivism that it has created. The film and the people depicted do not try to justify past criminal actions but try to live in the solution of how to change the status quo that has become a crisis in this country. The cinematography is adept and keeps a keen focus on the activities of the participants as they progress in their studies in the program at the college. This focus makes Almost Home: Life After Incarceration empathetic and inspiring, showing that there is hope to change the dysfunctional elements of the criminal justice system.” - William Blick, Film Threat. @filmthreat
Click the link in our bio to read the full review!! #AlmostHome #filmreview #ourpastdoesnotdefineus

Our film has been officially selected for the Docu

Our film has been officially selected for the DocuWest Film Festival in Denver! The screening of our film will take place Friday, October 20th at 7:30 p.m in the Holiday Theater. We are so excited to continue sharing the important message of the film and reach new audiences! #almosthomefilm #docuwest #filmfestival #officialselection

Last week we had the privilege of screening Almost

Last week we had the privilege of screening Almost Home at the Oakland International Film Festival! A big thank you to those who came to show their support and those who helped promote our film! #AlmostHomeFilm #Oaklandfilmfestival #filmscreening

It’s extremely rewarding when the efforts of our

It’s extremely rewarding when the efforts of our film are well translated to the audience. We had the opportunity to share Almost Home with some viewers from @wildsoundfestival where they discussed their thoughts on the film and the impact they felt it had towards the formerly incarcerated community. We appreciate the kind words as well as the chance to continue to share these stories on such an important topic! #almosthomefilm #formerlyincarcerated #stopthestigma

Once released from the prison gates, individuals f

Once released from the prison gates, individuals face staggering rates of unemployment, discrimination, and homelessness. Without the support needed to overcome these devastating barriers, people often feel hopeless and return to illegal activities just to survive. #almosthomefilm #reentrymatters #secondchances

Last week we had the opportunity to screen our doc

Last week we had the opportunity to screen our documentary for an amazing group of women in the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility. It was an honor to be able to help inspire and encourage those who are currently incarcerated. Their incredible response to the film and our Palomar student’s testimonials, is something we will never forget. Thanks for having us! @sdsheriff #almosthomefilm #reentrymatters #educationnotincarceration

Special Announcement! Our film will be screening a

Special Announcement! Our film will be screening at the Oakland International Film Festival on Tuesday September 19th from 5:30-7:30 pm at the New Parkway Theater. Tickets are sold here: https://www.oiff.org/.../oiff21-almost-home-resettlement.../
We hope to see you there! #almosthomefilm #oaklandinternationalfilmfestival #officialselection

One of the greatest takeaways of Almost Home is th

One of the greatest takeaways of Almost Home is the importance of reducing the stigma towards formerly incarcerated individuals. Director Bill Wisneski was interviewed by Mystic & Severe Radio’s Michael O’Keef, where they discussed the making of the film and the significance of humanizing this community. #AlmostHomeFilm #stopthestigma #formerlyincarcerated

Does that number surprise you? Would you be even m

Does that number surprise you? Would you be even more surprised to learn that 74% of those incarcerated in state prisons have reported that they have received no mental health support behind bars?
While many factors can lead up to and result in mental health disorders, the experience of being incarcerated also lends itself to its own host of potential damaging impacts on mental health. Post traumatic stress, anxiety, and impaired decision-making are just a few of the potential mental hurdles people often face upon release. [Source: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/mental_health/#:~:text=Percent%20of%20people%20in%20state,care%20while%20incarcerated%3A%2066%25%20%2B} #almosthomefilm #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness

We received our first film review! It is so reward

We received our first film review! It is so rewarding that our film’s messages are having the intended impact we were hoping for!

Subtitled “life after incarceration”, this documentary film directed by Bill Wisneski gives us much to reflect on about the legal system, rates of offending, and the prison system in the United States. Placed in a system that seems stacked against forgiveness or rehabilitation, the way a range of ages and ethnicities are represented makes this a strong argument against the current corrective system. It puts many political and social issues in perspective – and, sadly, tackles the issue of loss, connection, and friendship, too. Almost Home deserves to have a life beyond the festival film circuit and to be widely seen and discussed. -Louise Penn, LouReviews

Check out the link for the full review!
https://loureviews.blog/2023/07/28/film-review-almost-home-dances-with-films-26/?preview=true&frame-nonce=1adc03917a
#AlmostHomefilm #filmreview #loureviews

Our film has officially been selected for the New

Our film has officially been selected for the New Jersey Documentary Film Festival! We are so excited to keep spreading awareness on such an important topic!
#almostehomefilm #njdocfest #docawards #officialselection

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