Transit has a role in ex-offender re-entry

Nine years ago, I felt called to open a home where ex-prisoners could live while transitioning from prison back to society.

As I prepared to open what became Indy Grace Place, I considered location carefully. I wanted to find a house near an IndyGo bus line because I knew how important transportation would be to future residents’ job searches and successful employment. I can cite example after example of guys who have skills but who had a hard time finding employment – or have had to turn down jobs – because they couldn’t afford to buy, insure and maintain a car and, therefore, had no way to get to a job.

Today, Indy Grace Place can house up to four men, giving them three things that make employment possible: an address, a phone where potential employers can leave messages, and access to three bus lines within two blocks of home. We support these tangible needs with goal-setting guidance, spiritual support and other assistance.

Indy Grace Place exists to help men with a difficult transition, but our work wouldn’t be possible without the public transportation. It is a vital link in the process that allows these men to re-engage in the community, build themselves back up, put struggles behind them and contribute to society.

Dan Gushee, founder, Grace Place