About Community Partners in Action
Community Partners in Action (CPA) is a non-profit organization that has been working tirelessly to help men, women, and youth end the cycle of incarceration and thrive in the community. CPA was founded in 1875 as the Connecticut Prison Association, with a mission to improve prison conditions and promote prisoner rehabilitation. Over time, CPA's focus shifted towards helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society.
Today, Community Partners in Action provides a wide range of services to individuals who are involved with or have been impacted by the criminal justice system. These services include pre-release planning, job training and placement assistance, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment programs, housing assistance programs for ex-offenders and their families.
One of CPA's most successful programs is its Community Reentry Program (CRP), which helps individuals transition from prison back into their communities. The CRP provides participants with case management services that include job readiness training, education support services such as GED preparation classes or college courses if needed; life skills coaching; financial literacy education; substance abuse treatment referrals if necessary; mental health counseling referrals if necessary.
CPA also offers an array of employment-related services through its Career Pathways program. This program helps individuals develop job skills through vocational training courses such as culinary arts or construction trades while also providing them with job placement assistance upon completion of these courses.
Another important aspect of CPA's work is advocacy on behalf of those impacted by the criminal justice system. The organization works closely with policymakers at both state and federal levels to promote policies that reduce recidivism rates while also advocating for reforms that address systemic issues within the criminal justice system itself.
In addition to its direct service work and advocacy efforts, Community Partners in Action also operates several social enterprises designed to provide employment opportunities for ex-offenders while generating revenue for the organization's programs. These enterprises include a catering business called "Breaking Bread" which employs formerly incarcerated individuals as chefs and servers; a screen printing business called "Prints Charming" which produces custom t-shirts for local businesses; an urban farm called "Root Down Farm" which grows fresh produce sold at local farmers' markets.
Overall, Community Partners In Action has made significant strides towards ending cycles of incarceration by providing comprehensive support systems that help people successfully re-enter society after serving time behind bars. Through its various programs and initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism rates among those impacted by the criminal justice system - including pre-release planning services like CRP or vocational training opportunities offered through Career Pathways - CPA continues making positive impacts on communities across Connecticut every day!