Phase 1: First Houses and Initial ReEntry Acclimation Programs

In the spring of 2021, we purchased our first two houses!

We now own a small two-bedroom house in Evansville outright, which we are in the process of fixing up to get it ready to be a reentry house.

We also have a mortgage on a duplex on the east side of Indianapolis, and we’re working to pay the mortgage off as soon as we can, so that we can borrow against the value of the property to start a business that will employ formerly incarcerated participants in our program. This house is in good repair and is now operational as a re-entry house.

These two houses, and any more we are able to purchase in the future, will be used to support our re-entry program participants in determining their own course in life, by providing them the cushion necessary to get on their feet and explore various options after prison, and have the space to fail without losing everything.

Click here to learn about our Housing for Self-Determination Program.

Our current funding goal is to raise enough money in monthly donations to make the monthly payments for the Indianapolis house, have a monthly budget for repairs and upkeep on both houses, and pay stipends for a Community Organizer and a Wraparound Support Coordinator. To do all of that, we need $6000 in revenue per month.

Monthly Budget Goal Breakdown:

Mortgage, taxes & insurance on houses: $1000

Maintenance, repairs and improvements on houses: $500

Stipend for Part-time Community Organizer: $2000

Stipend for Part-time Wraparound Support Coordinator: $2000

Legal Support Fund: $500

Click here to learn more about the initial reentry acclimation programs we’re developing.

Phase 2: Employment and Community Solidarity

The second phase of the program will involve the development and launch of transitional employment programs.

During Phase 2 we will also work to establish community solidarity initiatives, according to the needs of the people in the neighborhoods surrounding the first FOCUS houses. The first of these programs, the FOCUS Families Initiative, is already being developed in Evansville. FOCUS Families is a mutual aid and community organizing initiative aimed at building solidarity among the families and loved ones of incarcerated people and fighting for decarceration and an end to abuses in the prisons.

Phase 3: Growing the Transitional Housing, Employment, and Community Building Program

The goal of Phase 3 is to develop the capacity to house and employ 30 individuals at a time, in-house. We will purchase additional properties and expand our business ventures. During Phase 3 we will also ensure the long-term financial sustainability of all the FOCUS Initiatives properties, businesses, and programs. A more in-depth plan for Phase 3 is currently in development and will be released soon.

Phase 4: Community Center & School, Legal Clinic, and Free Medical Services

Phase 4 will center around expanding community initiatives that fulfill our mission of providing alternatives and building resilience in the face of the carceral system. These initiatives may include a community center and school, an international exchange program, a legal clinic, and free medical services through a clinic and trauma/addiction recovery center. We are inspired in this approach by organizations such as Kheprw Institute, Chicago Freedom School, OTEPIC and the Abolitionist Law Center.

Email us at focusinitiativesltd@gmail.com for a copy of the full plan!