Executive Summary

Louisiana has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. Black people are disproportionately impacted by the overuse of incarceration in Louisiana–comprising just 32% of Louisiana’s overall population but 67% of those in prison. The First 72+ was founded by six formerly incarcerated Black men seeking to stop the cycle of incarceration that had ensnared them and kept Louisiana as an incarceration capital of the world for years. For years prior to our founding, every member of our board was providing ad hoc services, big and small, to people returning home from incarceration. The First 72+ reduces incarceration through comprehensive case management, connecting participants to employment, housing, legal services, healthcare, and community engagement, and organizing for policy changes that reduce barriers to reentry. We focus on providing intensive support in the first 72 hours after release as well as ongoing comprehensive support in the weeks and months of our clients' community reentry. Our work, however, is not just about rebuilding individual lives. We translate our firsthand knowledge of how the criminal legal system damages Black communities into effective, practical policy and systems changes within criminal legal system agencies and state law.

Through the leadership and wisdom of formerly incarcerated people themselves, The First 72+ transforms the reentry experience into one that builds on the strengths and abilities of people returning home from prison and ensures that they, their families, and their communities are given the greatest opportunity to grow and thrive.

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