Their journeys from the trauma of youth, through criminal pasts and prison, to personal transformation make them uniquely positioned to help others returning to the community from incarceration.

Madison-area Urban Ministry has offered an array of services to individuals and families affected by the criminal justice system, including prison re-entry programming, since 1999. At the time, the concept of peer support didn’t really exist, but the nonprofit has long tried to connect those returning from incarceration to others who have been on that journey.