When Karina Lariz was released from a California prison in September 2021, she had only the clothes she was arrested in — stretched out and weathered by time. She had lost her home, her car and her job. Her two children had moved in with other family members.... ....Then came an unexpected lifeline: direct cash payments through a nonprofit program called the Returning Citizens Stimulus. The Center for Employment Opportunities - CEO, an organization that offers reentry support and services to formerly incarcerated people in 28 cities, runs the program.... ....[A] new independent evaluation of the initiative [from MDRC] suggests that short-term aid may have positive long-term effects. The study comes as some states are considering whether direct financial support is an effective — or appropriate — tool for reducing recidivism. via Amanda Hernández in Oklahoma Voice (fb)

When Karina Lariz was released from a California prison in September 2021, she had only the clothes she was arrested in — stretched out and weathered by time. She had lost her home, her car and her job. Her two children had moved in with other family members.... ....Then came an unexpected lifeline: direct cash payments through a nonprofit program called the Returning Citizens Stimulus. The Center for Employment Opportunities - CEO, an organization that offers reentry support and services to formerly incarcerated people in 28 cities, runs the program.... ....Now, a new independent evaluation [by MDRC] of the initiative suggests that short-term aid may have positive long-term effects. The study comes as some states are considering whether direct financial support is an effective — or appropriate — tool for reducing recidivism.... via Amanda Hernández for Stateline (fb)