Baton Rouge program aids ex-prisoners in rebuilding lives
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — It's second chance Tuesday, and the Capitol area prisoner reentry program serves as Baton Rouge's place to provide former prisoners a second chance in society.
'We did it because we wanted to create a singular group and network of service providers that provided services for people reentering after prison or after jail, after incarceration,' said Program Director Christopher Sonka.
Sonka said he loves it when people come back and explain how much second chance Tuesday has done for them, especially when they were once hopeless.
'We've had several people come to us after coming to the second chance Tuesday afterwards and tell us how helping them get an expungement done or helping them connected to resources that have helped them get housing or help them get to it cards, how that's helped their life so much,' said Sonka.
Second chance Tuesday also helps people connect with local employers who will look past their criminal history to give them a steady stream of income.
'Many employers, we like to call them second chance employers, employers who are willing to look past a felony conviction and give a person a chance to come in and interview and actually see if they're a right fit for the job,' he said.
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