About the Reentry Advisory Board

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners (BOC) established the Reentry Advisory Board (RAB) on November 6, 2018, to:

1. Develop diverse solutions and policy recommendations to the challenges and barriers that hinder justice-involved residents’ access to equal and equitable opportunities and

2. Build a culture and platform that promotes inclusion of justice-involved residents in business and the workforce, housing, education, and all aspects of a productive community, and leverage collective knowledge across multiple disciplines.

The overarching goal of the RAB is to support reduction in the recidivism rate in Franklin County thereby positively impacting public safety, social justice, and economic development. Currently the RAB includes 20 members representing diverse perspectives and expertise from various sectors of the community. In addition, there are 15 individuals that contribute their expertise on committees. The Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs (OJPP) provides support and assistance to the RAB. Reentry has been recognized as an important issue in Franklin County for years as research on reentry began to inform practice and the number of incarcerated individuals began to grow nationally in the 1980’s, peaking in the 2000’s. Prior to establishment of the RAB, the Reentry Coalition was in operation from 2009 to 2019 with the stated purpose of establishing system-wide justice and reentry planning and the facilitation of multi-agency engagement across disciplines.