For the last six months, I’ve been working on something transformative. For nearly three decades before that, I’ve done whatever I could to affect prosocial change—both in myself and in everyone my community touches. There have been many successes on a personal and local level, but the larger issues have always been beyond my ability to tackle. I’ve been treating symptoms rather than causes, but that’s about to change.
Back in February, my good friend Jason arrived at my facility. We hadn’t seen each other in nineteen years, but he, too, had been pursuing similar goals and had much better luck networking with several influential people. Like Dwayne and me, he was still missing key components in the mechanism of change—namely, stable and trustworthy partners to build with. Now, he has that, and we’re set to go all out.
Jason introduced me to his mentor and friend, Loren Taylor. Dwayne had already made her acquaintance, but not in this context. If you’re justice-involved in Washington, the name is likely familiar. She’s been involved in numerous positive legislative actions and is a major proponent of change, seemingly behind almost everything good that’s happened to those of us in prison.
It wasn’t long before the four of us decided to put our efforts to the test and create something better—something that can actually do something for the justice-involved. Loren had a registered but inactive business sitting on one of her shelves. Could we use that? Absolutely, and that’s how our version of 4People was born.
Back in May, the three of us sat down and each wrote out our own versions of mission and vision statements. Then we sent all three to our many-hatted web mistress for her opinion. After bouncing ideas back and forth, we came up with the following, which provides a clear picture of what we’re aiming for:
Combined Mission Statement
Our mission is to empower individuals currently and formerly incarcerated, as well as at-risk youth, with personalized resources and tools necessary for successful reentry and sustained independence. We aim to reduce recidivism and prevent future incarcerations by offering tailored support services, health programs, and resource centers designed with trauma-informed compassion.
Combined Vision Statement
4People envisions a future where we lead as the nation’s foremost reentry and resource entity, recognized for transforming lives through a network of support, holistic approaches, and a foundation built on life experience, cognitive tools, and community success. We strive to be a beacon of hope and opportunity, actively engaging with communities to provide emergency shelters, halfway houses, and essential services that pave the way for healthier, more secure futures.
In other words, 4People is set to be not just a service provider but a transformative force in reentry and community support. By synthesizing our diverse perspectives and desires into a unified mission and vision, 4People is positioned to clearly articulate its purpose and goals to stakeholders, participants, and supporters. This unified direction not only strengthens our internal cohesion but also enhances our appeal to funders, collaborators, and the communities we aim to serve.
We’re already in talks with the Governor’s office, legislators, and the DOC headquarters, poised to lead efforts to bring Washington the best in correctional, employment, and community services, aligning with the Governor’s Reentry 2030 Executive Order.
We’re still in the formative stages, but more pieces are falling into place every day. In fact, Dwayne has the honor of being the first individual to benefit from 4People’s work! He’s set to be resentenced soon, and all signs point to either an immediate release or something close to it. First-hand experience in navigating reentry has already revealed several issues needing attention. Like most things justice-involved, it’s nothing like you’d expect.
And we’re going to fix that.