The Safer Foundation Gives Returning Citizens A Second Chance

Victor Dickson is the President and CEO of the Safer Foundation. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SAFER FOUNDATION.
Victor Dickson is the President and CEO of the Safer Foundation. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SAFER FOUNDATION.

The Safer Foundation Gives Returning Citizens A Second Chance

By Tia Carol Jones

The Safer Foundation was founded in 1972 to assist people returning from jail and prison, obtain private sector employment as a means to building a solid foundation for their lives, with a mission to make communities safer. Victor Dickson, President and CEO answered questions about the organization and its mission.

Citizen Newspaper: What is the mission and purpose of the Safer Foundation?

Victor Dickson: The Safer Foundation Vision: To support the empowerment of justice-involved individuals through comprehensive services, innovative evidence informed practices and inclusive community support, thereby positioning the Safer Foundation as the leader in promoting successful reentry and advocating for justice and socio-economic equity for returning residents.

The Safer Foundation Mission: To support, through a full spectrum of services, policy and advocacy, the efforts of people with arrest & conviction records to become employed, law-abiding members of the community, and, as a result, reduce recidivism.

Citizen Newspaper: How did you come to work at the Safer Foundation?

Dickson: I was looking for an opportunity to work in social services in the local community. I spent the prior seven years as the COO of a ministry that was involved in relief programs in Africa, India, Asia, South Africa and South America. I traveled around the world in this role but felt that there were many pressing needs right here at home. An executive recruiter contacted me about the Safer Foundation role, and I thought it would be a good fit. Being an African American male and knowing that the vast majority of Safer Foundation clients are African American men, made the opportunity even more compelling.

Citizen Newspaper: What would you say is the social impact of the Safer Foundation in Chicago and in the state of Illinois?

Dickson: Safer Foundation has long been an industry leader in the residential community corrections field globally. We operate the largest work release center program in the nation and perhaps the world, with our 630 bed facilities in North Lawndale. We have done that work for 40-plus years.

Safer has been a trend setter in community-based reentry workforce development. Our Ascend and Safer Demand Skills Collaborative models have been pioneering in helping returning residents secure the soft skills, education, vocational training and industry recognized credentials leading to family sustaining wages.

Safer has been a leading national and local advocate for policy and legislative change to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for returning residents. We were deeply involved in efforts to provide certificates of rehabilitation, Ban the Box in employment, the Just Housing Ordinance, the passage of two significant Occupational Licensing bills in Illinois, the creation of the City of Chicago Office of Reentry, drafting language for the R3 initiative which shares Cannabis legalization tax revenues with communities ravaged by the failed War on Drugs. On the federal level we advocate annually for the Second Chance Act and Reentry for Ex Offender (REO) funding that helps returning residents nationwide.

Lately, we have pioneered a holistic reentry model as lead agency in a HFS Healthcare Transformation pilot. Our pilot addresses the social determinants of health and the social determinants of recidivism. Our model provides access to physical and behavioral Healthcare, housing, employment, transportation and other wrap around services.

Citizen Newspaper: Why do you think the work the Safer does is important?

Dickson: The US incarcerates more people than any other major country in the world. While we have 5% of the world’s population, 25% of the world’s prisoners are in the US. Cook County has more residents with arrest and conviction records than any other single county in the US. Our work helps people who return home from jail and prison, over 90% of people incarcerated “do” come home, rebuild their lives and break the cycle of them going in and out of jail and prison. Everyone benefits from our work; no recidivism means no crime has been committed to cause a person to be rearrested and reincarcerated. Safer’s work always has been Public Safety. Our work saves taxpayers over $120K per reconviction. That stat was provided by the Illinois Sentencing Advisory Policy Council. Our work enables returning residents to care for themselves and their children. This creates less dependency on public support, which also saves taxpayers money. Giving people a second chance is the right thing to do, it is what any one of us would want for ourselves or a family member in similar circumstances.

Citizen Newspaper: What are the top issues the formerly incarcerated face upon re-entering society?

Dickson: Being prepared in advance for the challenges of reentry. It is always best to get training, education and treatment before release. Navigating the wide range of needs and the many organizations that have to be engaged to meet their needs. Housing is right up there at the top. Without stable housing it is very difficult to succeed in training and employment. Discrimination against people with records is still a top issue. It is still prevalent in housing and employment.

Citizen Newspaper: What are some of the ways the city and the state can scale up investment in re-entry services?

Dickson: If cities and states would calculate what they spend to jail, try and imprison people and realize that we can save hundreds of millions of dollars by investing in holistic reentry solutions, we can make our communities SAFER, HEALTHIER & BOOST ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY. Employers need workers and we have tens of thousands of people who want to work but find it extremely difficult to navigate the myriad of barriers they face.

For more information about the Safer Foundation, visit www.saferfoundation.org or call 312-922-2200.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

A.L. Smith - Harold Washington Legacy Committee