The fact that the 600,000 souls – Men
and Women, some of whom are parents -- released annually from correctional
facilities throughout the United States return to our families and our
communities without being equipped with at least some of the minimal
psychological and emotional tools they will need as they struggle to transition
from years and decades of institutionalization is not lost on Tracey L. Fisher. Heralded as the “Face of Re-Entry”, Mr. Fisher is the founder of “June Is Re-Entry Awareness Month” which
is being observed by individuals and organizations in cities across the United
States; the Chief Executive Officer of Gateway To Re-Entry; and the architect
of a results-oriented initiative that serves as a deterrent to recidivism -- “Ten Steps To Re-Entry”. Numerous accolades have been bestowed upon
Fisher in recognition of his groundbreaking work on Re-Entry and Restorative
Justice issues – the Lucien Blackwell
Award; Authentic Servant Leadership Award; Black Male Engagement Award in
2015; and in 2016, CBS Philly/KYW News Game Changer Award. Mr. Fisher,
an author, lecturer, community activist, and Restorative Justice Thought
Leader who hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the fifth largest
metropolitan area in the United States -- is changing the national narrative on
re-entry with meteoric speed.
So, how is it that Mr. Fisher
has such an accurately keen insight into what the 600,000 souls who are
released annually from American prisons need to successfully navigate the
arduous journey to reintegration, redemption, and healing? Fisher’s accurately keen insight into the
needs of incarcerated souls who will pour into our communities once they are
released from prison and his development of solutions-based tools to assist
them in their transition stems from his own experience with incarceration. A number of the effective solutions-based
tools Fisher offers formerly incarcerated souls through Gateway To Re-Entry
were developed by him during his 22 years of incarceration in the Federal Prison
system. He began making an impact
within the Social Justice forum long before his release from America’s prison
system which occurred on 22 May 2012. Fisher
became the only inmate ever to facilitate orientation sessions for all incoming
inmates. His “standing-room-only”
workshops provided incarcerated souls with, for example, decision making tools. Upon his release, Fisher “hit the ground
running” and has never looked back. He
has conducted an aggregate of approximately 50 seminars and workshops which
include Crime Summits, Seminars for Men (Transformation
to Manhood) and Women (Let Go So You
Can Hold On), Emergency Preparedness, Civic Engagement (Voter Education), Annual Day of Respect,
Family Talk, Feeding the Community, Community Treasures (Senior Citizens Health Fair), and Save Our Schools. Gateway To Re-Entry’s annual d Black Tie Gala
which Fisher hosts brings together key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and
introduces the organization’s solutions-based work on Restorative Justice to an
expanded audi ence. Fisher has also
specifically crafted the “Dream Your
Dream” Tour for school-age children which inspires them to dream and plan
for their future and Mentoring Workshops for both youths and adults.
“Re-entry
is in everything we do. Nothing happens in isolation,” remarked
Fisher who immerses himself in community outreach work.
The communities that Mr. Fisher serves are the
communities that formerly incarcerated souls pour into. On Saturdays, you will find him conducting
re-entry workshops where he speaks to youths, Returning Citizens, and family
members. His workshops are insightful
and get right to the heart of the challenges and issues experienced by
individuals and groups who attend his solutions-based and inspiring
presentations. On the second Friday of
each month, TIIAI/Gateway To Re-Entry (TIIAI is The International Institute for
Advanced Instruction and the non-profit arm of Gateway To Re-Entry), serves a
brunch and conducts a free “Produce Give Away” for Senior Citizens who receive
fruit and produce. In December, he organizes
the Shoebox Giveaway. What is the
Shoebox Giveaway? It is an event that
provides shoeboxes filled with educational items and toys for children – an
event that was inspired by a speech Mr. Fisher delivered at a Pennsylvania
Youth Center. The youths who listened to
Fisher were so moved that they felt compelled to do something for others. In 2014, the youths decided to make 75 shoe
boxes. The following year, in 2015, the
youths created 200 shoeboxes and in 2016 they have set a goal of creating 500
shoe boxes.
The author of “Mental Mentoring”, Fisher through Gateway To Re-Entry, facilitates
Re-Entry workshops for Returning Citizens which incorporate, among other
things, job readiness skills, self-employment/entrepreneurship, anger management,
and parenting skills. Fisher is on a
mission to reduce the rate of recidivism.
His approach to getting the job done is based on an understanding that
personal growth happens when an individual changes his or her thinking.
“Our
program’s focus is on purposeful mentoring which in addition to helping
Returning Citizens develop a positive and long term vision, also identifies
their specific goals while simultaneously underscoring how they can personally
demonstrate accountability,” Mr. Fisher explained.
A highly sought after speaker,
Fisher speaks at prisons throughout Pennsylvania and at schools, churches, and
community centers. He serves on numerous
Mass Incarceration and Re-Entry panels, yet finds time to communicate with a
host of inmates and lend support to their initiatives.
Mr. Fisher is moving us to
understand that the successful reintegration of the 600,000 souls who pour into
our communities after years and decades of institutionalization is a critical
path item. Helping these 600,000 souls
transition from years and decades of institutionalization to a new life in
which they are encouraged to and succeed in reaching their full potential and
become productive citizens is a wise investment.
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