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PRISONIST.ORG

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Dear Family ReEntry Staff, Board and Executive Council Members,

As I sit down to write this year’s holiday message, I am almost overwhelmed with the deep respect and gratitude I have for each one of you.

One of the slogans of the new criminal justice reform movement is “those closest to the problem are closest to the solution.” I completely agree, because I know that we in direct service are those closest to the problem and are the solution! Never before have I had the gift of working with such committed, caring, talented and dedicated people. I can’t even imagine what our clients’ lives, and the lives of the entire community, would be like without you.

Certainly, this past year has been one of great challenges. We had the uncertainties of working in a state with a huge fiscal crisis that was without a state budget for many months. I am proud to say that, unlike many of our sister social service agencies, Family ReEntry did not lose even one dollar of government funding. In fact, we have regained almost half of the state funding we lost in the summer of 2016. This is testimony to the incredible reputation we have for exemplary service, impact and accountability. This past year has also given us the opportunity to become leaner, more focused and ready for the huge opportunities ahead.

We are looking at 2018 as a year of purpose, in which we will address incarceration issues head on. Criminal injustice is the problem of our generation and we can no longer look to the Connecticut government to fund our social issues – it simply doesn’t have the money. We can’t do this alone so we will be looking for more collaborations in the state and national criminal justice communities, and to new and larger private, foundation and corporate giving partners.

On behalf of my wife Lynn and our family, we wish you and your families a most happy & healthy holiday.

Gratefully,

Jeff

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