The billionaire Koch brothers are donating $4 million to a prison program aimed at improving re-imprisonment rates among former prisoners. The program is led by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Dr. Carrie Pettus-Davis, an author and professor who says the U.S. prison system is focused too much on punishment and not enough on rehabilitation.
The pilot program, Safe Streets and Second Chances, will launch on a trial basis in four states – Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Louisiana. One thousand participants will come from both rural and urban communities and will receive individualized help with reentry into society after their release from prison. Their progress in the program will be tracked.
“This unique initiative marries research-driven policy and reentry services reforms. Even though incarceration and reentry impacts millions of people’s lives in our country, there is a huge void in research on creating a successful transition of people from prison back home to our communities. We’re closing the gap,” Pettus-Davis said in a statement.
Charles and David Koch have given millions of dollars to conservative and libertarian causes. The donor network spearheaded by the brothers will hold its winter seminar in Palm Springs, California this weekend. The theme will be “Breaking Barriers: Because Free People are Capable of Extraordinary Things.”