RiseUp Venture’s mission is to transform incarcerated and at-risk individuals into mindful, emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs so they can achieve their potential and become a catalyst for positively impacting the vicious cycle of crime, prison, and violence in low-income communities.
The U.S., with 5% of the world’s population and 25% of its prisoners, is the world leader in incarceration. Prison population has exploded 700% since the 1970s.
Most of the staggering growth relates to re-incarceration rather than offenders entering prison for the first time.
The consequences in terms of dollars and lives resulting from simply housing and re-arresting the same individuals, instead of rehabilitating them, are devastating.
Nearly 3 out of 4 of previously incarcerated individuals will commit additional crimes and return to prison within 5 years.
The U.S. spends more than $80 billion per year incarcerating its citizens, which is conservative as it does not include other state agencies expenditures on imprisonment, the loss of tax revenue and the enormous costs incurred by victims.
Tens of thousands of crimes perpetuated each year against our families, friends, and fellow citizens can potentially be avoided if incarcerated and at-risk individuals are better prepared with the skills, resources and knowledge to succeed.
Lacking employable skills, education, positive social networks and emotional intelligence necessary to enable them to be productive members of society, they make bad decisions and the cycle continues.
Incarceration has a devastating impact on future generations. It causes significant emotional and financial ruin to families, resulting in greater incidence of poverty, instability, academic and behavioural issues, and an increased likelihood that the child will follow in their parents’ footsteps and go to prison.
RISE UP 