Held April 22–23 at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Gardens, the convening brought together advocates, employers, sheriffs, technologists, students, community organizations, and justice impacted individuals to address barriers to employment and connection after incarceration. Building on Mission: Launch's decade long Bank on 100 Million series, the Miami convening marked the first formal inclusion of sheriffs and featured an on site expungement and record sealing clinic with free legal assistance to individuals pursuing record relief, often a critical step toward stability in housing, education, and employment.
Florida has more than 427,000 unfilled jobs and approximately 25,000 people return home from state prisons each year. Research shows that when returning citizens secure employment within the first year of release, recidivism rates drop from as high as 70 percent to between 3 and 8 percent, marking the importance of coordinated, early reentry support.
"Miami came together to show what's possible when we remove silos from reentry solutions," said Teresa Hodge, Founder and CEO of Mission: Launch. "Sheriffs sat alongside justice impacted leaders, and college students sparked conversations that haven't yet begun on many campuses. Most importantly, teams left with real solutions and concrete commitments they are carrying forward to improve reentry outcomes and expand opportunity."
Participants reflected the cross sector model central to the Bank on 100 Million network, including:
- Law enforcement and corrections: Sheriff Garry McFadden (Mecklenburg County, NC), Sheriff James Quattrone (Chautauqua County, NY), and Claire McNally of the National Sheriffs' Association's I.G.N.I.T.E. initiative
- Reentry and workforce leaders: Saad Soliman of TimeDone, Ken Oliver of JUMP, and Jynai McDonald of Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts
- Policy, legal, and technology voices: Jane Oates of WorkingNation, parole attorney Terry Peden, employers, technologists, and community organizations
- Community members and people with lived experience: Pulitzer Prize–winning artist Suave Gonzalez, justice impacted leaders, students from Florida Atlantic University and St. Thomas University School of Law, and families and community members committed to improving reentry outcomes
During a law enforcement led session, Sheriffs McFadden and Quattrone, alongside McNally of the National Sheriffs' Association's I.G.N.I.T.E. initiative, highlighted how counties are embedding education and workforce readiness earlier in incarceration. Examples included in facility job fairs, community college partnerships, training aligned with local workforce needs, and pre release graduation ceremonies that recognize progress and connect individuals to opportunity before they return home.
Participants also collaborated in design sprints focused on reentry advocacy and technology enabled upskilling. Mission: Launch and its partners will continue developing the most promising concepts through the Bank on 100 Million network, with future programming and pilot opportunities expected to advance through 2027.
"More than 27 percent of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed, which is higher than the peak unemployment rate during the Great Depression," said Saad Soliman, National Director of TimeDone. "If we are serious about reducing recidivism, we have to act decisively to close that gap. That's why TimeDone is partnering with Mission: Launch and leaders across the justice ecosystem to connect returning citizens to meaningful work and help them build the economic foundation for a stable future."
About Mission: Launch
Mission: Launch is a nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for justice-impacted individuals. Its hackathons bring together cross-sector stakeholders — from corrections experts to justice-impacted individuals and advocates — to develop community-based solutions that reduce recidivism.
About TimeDone
TimeDone is the largest membership community for adults living with old convictions, leading the nation in ending post-conviction poverty through legislative change and people power.
SOURCE Mission: Launch
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