Prison Reentry Support
Ninety-five percent of incarcerated people will eventually be released from prison — and nearly 70% will return. Dallas Leadership Foundation believes those numbers are not inevitable. U.S. Department of Justice
For over 25 years, DLF Reentry has walked alongside men at Hutchins State Jail — partnering with local churches and organizations to provide pre- and post-release support through designated dorms, individualized service plans, and consistent mentorship. We don't show up at release and wish men well. We are present before, during, and after — because a successful return to community requires more than good intentions.
The results speak clearly: DLF experiences a recidivism rate of just 6% among the men we serve. In a landscape where reincarceration is the norm, that number represents men who are employed, housed, reconnected with their families, and contributing to the communities they call home. It also reflects what happens when returning citizens are seen, invested in, and walked alongside — not processed through a system, but supported as whole people building whole lives.
What We Do
Dreams don't have to die within prison walls. The previously incarcerated have contributions that communities need. DLF collaborates with churches and other faith-based organizations to help the formerly incarcerated reenter their communities in a healthy and spiritually productive way.
Since 2001, DLF has successfully developed leaders from within and outside of prison. The goal of our reentry program is to help those leaving prison to successfully return to society and not recidivate. We connect previously incarcerated individuals to resources such as clothing and medical care, employment help, courses on living substance free, and we encourage their efforts to reunite with their families.
Our prison ministry at Hutchins State Jail allows us to oversee 232 men through leadership development that consist of servant leadership, parenting, budgeting, and more. Upon release, some of the previously incarcerated men that we serve at Hutchins will be housed at DLF’s transitional house, Onesimus House, located within one of our oldest target neighborhoods (Owenwood) in East Dallas.
Housing is a significant component of a formerly incarcerated person’s successful transition back into the community, it also has a direct correlation to recidivism. Upon release, some of the men from DLF’s Faith-Based Dorm at Hutchins State Jail chose to live in DLF’s transitional house - Onesimus House. At the house, the men receive services that include assistance with clothing and food, medical care, employment support, job training, courses on living substance-free, and encouragement to reunite with their families. The Onesimus House residents have a 50% job retention rate after one year.
