IN THIS ISSUE:

Transform Nebraska is a Present-day Look at the Futurescape of Criminal Justice Practice

Strengthening Families, Transforming Communities: A New Era of Reentry Support in Nebraska

Multidisciplinary Convening Offers Family-Centered Solutions for Criminal Justice Reform

JULY 2025 NEWSLETTER

Transform Nebraska is a present-day look
at the Futurescape of Criminal Justice Practice

In November 2023, the Nebraska Department of Corrections launched an ambitious initiative to transform its prison system, utilizing WEI’s 5-Key Model for Reentry as the primary vehicle for change. Under the leadership of the newly appointed Director, Rob Jeffreys, and thanks to a nearly $900,000 anonymous grant, WEI was contracted to lead the effort to transform their system from one that focused on the deficits of residents to a new, holistic approach that centered on a visionary approach.

Hundreds of residents have participated in the 5-Key-Model that focuses on:

    • Healthy thinking patterns
    • Positive relationships
    • Social engagement
    • Meaningful work trajectories
    • Effective coping strategies

A hallmark innovation of this program is the use of peer-facilitators—select residents trained to guide their peers—leveraging shared lived experiences to foster trust and credibility. Deputy Director Dawn-Renee Smith explains that “peer delivery” enhances engagement, as facilitators enter each session with built-in credibility. This camaraderie is a powerful catalyst for change.

Beyond the core programmatic elements, WEI is also instrumental in addressing broader systemic challenges. A critical component of their work involves bringing together diverse stakeholders to form the “TRANSFORM Nebraska Network.” This collaborative effort addresses persistent issues, including social stigma, systemic barriers to reentry, and gaps in community services, which often hinder successful reintegration. A central focus of this network is to advance racial equity within the criminal justice system, recognizing the disproportionate impact these systems usually have on marginalized communities.

One particularly impactful project under the WEI-NDCS partnership is “Support4Families.” This group-based intervention provides vital skills training, emotional support, and practical resources to the families of individuals returning from prison. Recognizing that successful reentry is a family affair, Support4Families helps alleviate the immense pressure on families and equips them better to support their loved ones through the often-challenging transition period.

Furthermore, WEI provides ongoing technical assistance, guiding partners in reimagining their approaches and integrating research-to-practice feedback loops. Their team offers expert consultation and delivers state-of-the-art, data-driven services that ensure continuous improvement and adaptation within the justice system.

Transform Nebraska’s ambitious goals, including the state’s participation in the national Reentry 2030 initiative (aiming for an 82% success rate in community retention by 2030) and the construction of a new, rehabilitation-focused correctional facility, all benefit significantly from WEI’s strategic guidance and deep expertise. The new facility, designed with features like normalized living spaces, natural light, and dedicated areas for vocational and educational programs, is a physical manifestation of the holistic philosophy that WEI champions.

In essence, Wellbeing and Equity Innovations is not merely a contributor to Transform Nebraska; it is a driving force behind it. By providing the foundational models, spearheading rigorous research, fostering crucial partnerships, and championing an equitable approach, WEI is leading the charge in redefining criminal justice in Nebraska. Our work promises not only to reduce recidivism but also to empower individuals to build meaningful lives, ultimately creating safer and more resilient communities for everyone.

Strengthening Families, Transforming Communities:
A New Era of Reentry Support in Nebraska

Each year, thousands of individuals return home from Nebraska state prisons, and most don’t make that journey alone. Families are the first source of support, providing everything from shelter and meals to emotional encouragement. Yet, too often, the weight of reintegration is placed on families already struggling with economic hardship, trauma, or intergenerational involvement in the justice system. The result? Unstable homes, unmet needs, and a higher risk of recidivism.

Reentry is not a solo act. It’s a deeply relational, community-rooted process. But when families are unsupported, the very foundation needed for successful reintegration begins to crumble. Research shows that within just ten months post-release, family support can dramatically wane, leaving returning individuals and their loved ones vulnerable to disconnection and hardship.

With that in mind, Wellbeing and Equity Innovations is launching a new initiative as part of its collaborative efforts to transform the Nebraska criminal justice system, focusing on strengthening families through a program called Support4Families, a group-based family intervention designed to begin before release and continue through the reentry period. Its goal is to empower family members with tools and strategies to:

      • Identify and meet their own support needs,
      • Strengthen emotional and financial stability,
      • Address family tensions and caregiving stress,
      • Build skills to support their loved one’s triumphant return.

The program is currently in the recruitment stage. It will be rolled out in Lincoln, Omaha, and a rural Nebraska community heavily impacted by incarceration, ensuring both geographic and demographic reach. Delivered in partnership with local reentry providers, Support4Families fills a longstanding gap in reentry services, recognizing that healing and success require more than individual change; they demand family resilience.

Complementing this effort is the TRANSFORM Nebraska Network, a statewide coalition that will unite:

      • Families with lived experience,
      • Reentry service providers,
      • Community and faith leaders,
      • State agency officials.

This network will highlight the structural and social barriers families face—such as stigma, policy gaps, or fragmented service systems—and work collaboratively to address them. Its goals include:

    1. Conducting needs assessments to understand family and community challenges,
    2. Building actionable partnerships that reduce risks and expand supports,
    3. Creating a coordinated support system rooted in community engagement and trust.

This dual-initiative model, centered on families and grounded in cross-sector collaboration, marks a transformative shift in how Nebraska approaches reentry. It’s not about adding more programs. It’s about redefining success: from individual compliance to family stability, from short-term services to long-term community thriving.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) and Wellbeing & Equity Innovations (WEI) will co-lead this effort, with WEI providing program delivery and training support, and NDCS convening stakeholders statewide. With backing from the Sherwood Foundation and Nebraska’s recent commitment to the national Reentry 2030 initiative, this work has the potential to become a national model for reentry done right.

 

Jeffreys’ Op-Ed Piece

“I believe that successful rehabilitation and reentry are not just a corrections responsibility; they are the responsibility of an entire state,” wrote NDCS Director Rob Jeffreys in an op-ed piece.

“This whole state collaboration — from supportive state leaders to committed community partners to businesses invested in second chance hiring— creates the kind of environment where men and women returning to our communities after incarceration can build a successful life outside of prison.”

Multidisciplinary Convening Offers Family-Centered
Solutions for Criminal Justice Reform

In an era marked by deep system silos and generational injustice, a powerful convening at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work in Seattle on January 14, 2025, leading up to the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), offered a vision of something better. Co-hosted by Wellbeing and Equity Innovations, the School of Social Work, and the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work Policy, this pre-conference symposium was not just another academic forum. It was a transformative, multidisciplinary gathering that elevated the voices of those most impacted by incarceration and family separation. It boldly asked: What would it take to create a justice system that heals instead of harms?

“Bringing together, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and people directly impacted by the challenging intersection of criminal justice and social services systems created a powerful synergy to examine what we know and need to learn more about the trauma that disrupts families and lives every day,” stated WEI CEO Dr. Carrie Pettus and a leading force in wholistic criminal justice reform.

The uniqueness of the half-day event stemmed from its fusion of policy, practice, research, and lived experience—all under one roof. In the words of UW Dean Michael Spencer, who welcomed participants to the university, “Data and evidence must be paired with narrative power if we are to create meaningful change for vulnerable communities.” The event embodied that ethos by centering the insights of justice-impacted individuals and practitioners alongside leading scholars and policymakers.

One of the event’s most poignant contributions came from Ebony Underwood, founder and CEO of We Got Us Now, a national organization built by and for children of incarcerated parents. Underwood shared her personal story of trauma, loss, and eventual empowerment, detailing how her father’s three-decade incarceration led her to launch a national movement. Her organization, now with a top-ranked podcast and six pieces of legislation passed, has galvanized sons and daughters across the country to speak out and shape policy.

“We’re not waiting for change,” she said. “We are the change.”

Joining her on stage was Kimberly Mays, a formerly incarcerated parent and community leader whose story illustrated the deep intersection between untreated behavioral health issues and the revolving door of incarceration. Mays, a mother of ten, described her 17-year struggle with addiction, mental illness, and child welfare involvement. With the proper support, long-term treatment, housing, transportation, and parenting resources—she was not only able to reunite with her children but also earn three degrees and dedicate her life to helping other families. “It’s not about punishment,” Mays said. “It’s about building a path to wellness and stability.”

The forum also highlighted groundbreaking policy action, including the reauthorization of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, which was recently signed into law with rare bipartisan support. That legislation includes a landmark provision (Section 113) recognizing the needs of children with incarcerated parents. As Dr. Angelique Day, legislative director for the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work Policy, explained, the inclusion of this provision was not coincidental. It was the result of sustained advocacy, cross-sector collaboration, and community-engaged research.

The conference was equally notable for its bold reimagining of research itself. Scholars like Dr. Mark Eddy and Dr. Paja Charles emphasized that research should not exist in academic isolation. Eddy, co-creator of the Parenting Inside Out and Strength and Families programs, shared how sustained engagement with incarcerated individuals, correctional administrators, and families informed the creation of evidence-based interventions. Charles underscored the importance of community-engaged scholarship, which brings together advocates, corrections officials, and those with lived experience to co-create solutions.

What made this unique research forum stand apart was its commitment to multi-directional learning. Rather than traditional top-down policy proposals, the event encouraged a feedback loop between policymakers, researchers, and the community. Legislative staff from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s office discussed the Families Act, a bill modeled after successful diversion programs in Oregon and Washington, which aims to keep families intact while addressing justice involvement through holistic services.

The message was clear: the future of justice reform depends on listening to families, treating behavioral health issues as public health matters, and centering humanity over punishment. Throughout the day, attendees called for the expansion of treatment infrastructure, trauma-informed judicial training, and investments in community-rooted services. Perhaps most critically, there was a shared call to elevate lived expertise—to treat those who have navigated these systems not as case studies, but as co-creators of the solutions.

This remarkable event was not just timely, it was catalytic. In a system where the average annual cost of incarcerating one person in Washington State exceeds $100,000, the economic argument for reform is self-evident. But what drove this gathering home is that the moral and human case is even stronger.

As the day concluded, attendees left not with a list of abstract recommendations, but with an urgent charge: to build on the momentum, deepen partnerships, and demand policies that reflect what research and experience have long made clear—families, not prisons, are the foundation of public safety.

This was more than a convening. It was a call to action. And for all who were present, the message was unmistakable: the time for transformation is now.