Returning Home Well

In 2020, the Governor of California tapped Amity to serve as lead agency for the Returning Home Well initiative, a $30+ million statewide public-private initiative to reduce COVID-19 transmission by expediting early releases from California’s overcrowded prisons. As lead agency, Amity coordinated with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and a network of 200 community-based service providers to offer housing, wrap-around services, and financial assistance to those released.

As of August 2021, Returning Home Well has achieved remarkable milestones: 14,800 individuals have been released; 13,817 received substance use disorder treatment and housing; 5,021 received re-entry housing; and 5,701 received financial assistance. Amity and its network of partners provided transportation, meals, linkages to healthcare, and employment. Together, the network of reentry providers is serving 3,077 people daily – up from 1,850. As of June 2021, California prisons are still overcrowded at 107% of design capacity, as the pandemic continues. Amity will continue leading the Returning Home Well initiative into 2022 with additional funds added from CDCR. This work has further cemented Amity’s role as a leader to end mass incarceration and serve as a national model for quality reentry services.