We must act as if our institutions are ours to create, our learning is ours to define, our leadership we seek is ours to become.
- Peter Block |
We are a 501(c)(3) charity and all donations are tax deductible
Getting Started
FAIR SHAKE WEBSITE/SOFTWARE MINI-TOUR
Fair Shake is like a reentry hardware store: we have tools, information and materials for returning citizens – and all of us – to build bridges of trust that support reentry success.We understand that this is a lot information to sift through, so we have created this easily accessible mini-tour, that enables users to navigate the website by simply clicking on the desired links below.
In addition to sending our free 100 page reentry packet, we also offer the following:
(Please click on the links in blue to get to our other pages.)
- Stakeholder pages: Former Felons, Family and Friends and Employers, Property Managers, Corrections and Reentry Professionals and Community.
- Resource Directory – 14,000 entries and 260 reentry guides.
- Reentry Packet – 100 pages of reentry considerations – download and print individual documents or the complete packet.
- Quick Start Guide: Found on our home page. Print one page or all four to help new users explore our website.
- Computer Basics – a fun tutorial and other skills-building information.
- Employment – links to job search engines, information about careers and tools to help folks prepare to enter the job market, including Self-Employment considerations as well as our Employer Support guide.
- Member Area – Fair Shake offers a free ‘office in the clouds’ to anyone who has been incarcerated. The package includes email, data storage,member card and a personal web page, with tutorials for each area, to help members prepare for work! (this area of the software is not interactive as it must connect to our server to be functional).
- Educate Yourself! – Free resources for every learning level.
- Ownership Manual – Inspiring information to take control of your life.
- Culture Shock – considering the differences between life inside and outside of prison.
- Resisting Influence – written by Dr. Philip Zimbardo and posted with his permission.
Why address multiple stakeholders? We understand that we must address the concerns of several stakeholder groups so that everyone is aware of the role they play in cultivating an environment that is open to a person who requests a ‘second chance’. In addition to offering our most innovative tools for those coming home, we offer information for the families of incarcerated individuals on both our Families and Friends page as well as in our Resource Directory. We offer support for Corrections and Reentry professionals who work closely with incarcerated individuals getting ready to come home. We also offer information and tools for employers, property managers and communities so they can see how they fit into the reentry puzzle.
Self-esteem and self-empowerment are important components to successful reentry. While gaining employment and housing are crucial to reducing recidivism; relational, character and emotional considerations are essential to maintaining employment and housing, and are vital to strengthening families and friendships. We offer a variety of documents to support building character and relationships, getting through tough situations, motivation tips and much more. Please check out our Ownership Manual flip book, our Culture Shock document (for everyone, not just folks who are coming home!) and our Relationships: Proceed with Caution pages, and the documents on our Opportunities and Hurdles page (esp. Resisting Influence written by Philip Zimbardo, creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment).