In February, 129 people volunteered their time by reviewing the cover letters, resumes, and business ideations of our 8th cohort at the Omaha Correctional Center. We are SO excited to share that they graduated last week!

These shared dinners would not be possible without the food! So a special thank you to all the vendors who make these dinners possible. The food helps create a welcoming and enticing offer for families and participants to come back every week.

Research has shown that staying connected with family while incarcerated is wildly beneficial. It improves health, behavior, and can reduce the likelihood individuals will return to prison after being released.

The Nebraska Unicameral ended two days early yesterday, but not before LB50 passed its final round of debate with a vote of 34-15!

The Fatherhood Initiative is a statewide program of Lutheran Family Services (LFS), in partnership with Legal Aid of Nebraska, RISE, and in collaboration with Sarpy County.

Research has shown that staying connected with family while incarcerated is wildly beneficial. It improves health, behavior, and can reduce the likelihood individuals will return to prison after being released.

LB50 was debated on select file for four hours on Wednesday and survived a cloture vote, where at least 33 senators had to decide if the bill received a full and fair debate. It was then advanced to the final round of debate with a vote of 30-7.

The Judiciary Committee’s omnibus bill, LB50, advanced to select file last night with a vote of 28-8. Even through some contentious moments, senators continued to work towards agreements on the latest amendment that they hope to have finalized in the next round of debate.

With only 8 days left in the 108th Legislature, 1st session, criminal justice reform is now on the agenda for debate today. Contact your senators now and ask them to vote for the data-driven policies in LB50 with AM1436 to reduce the state’s prison growth, while promoting public safety and reducing recidivism.

“The blessing of taking RISE has given me just the littlest hope that there is life outside of lockup.”

Reentry is crisis. It's not uncommon to have a roof over your head one day and the threat of it being gone the next. Access to housing can help improve public safety, as research has shown it is correlated with decreases in crime and recidivism.

In February of 2022, RISE launched a pilot in-unit program at the Nebraska State Penitentiary where program participants live together in an intentional learning community while attending classes five days a week.

Andy is currently taking the Business Essentials portion of RISE's In Prison Program while finishing his time at a community corrections center. He's dyslexic and has never received assistance or treatment for his learning challenges.

In 2022 we held two RISE Business Academy (RBA) cohorts and one graduation with seven graduates. 11 of our 19 program graduates currently have their businesses in operation.

Dr. TJ Dickson became the Director of the RBA in July 2022. She facilitated Cohort 5 and graduated the largest cohort thus far.

The past two weeks at the legislature have been a whirlwind and it’s set to continue. With 812 legislative bills and 31 legislative resolutions/constitutional amendments introduced, the unicameral has its work cutout.

The Voting Rights Restoration Coalition is composed of over 30 statewide and local organizations. Our mission is to remove barriers to civic participation for those impacted by the criminal justice system. We want everyone to be able to access their right to vote, serve on a jury, and run for office.

At RISE, data is more than a number. Data helps tell the story of our participants. Data allows us to see trends and gaps. Data supports our decisions.

Classes begin January 18, 2023

Application deadline: January 9th, 2022

Important things to know on Election Day.