Project 180 Reentry

We're grateful to Sarasota Magazine and journalist Kendall Southworth for highlighting Project 180's Reentry Simulation.

The article explores how community leaders stepped into the shoes of individuals returning home from incarceration, navigating real-world barriers like housing, employment, transportation, and supervision requirements. The experience sparked meaningful conversations about how we can better support successful reentry and stronger communities.

Read the full article:
https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2026/06/life-after-lockup-simulation-project-180

📖 Written by Kendall Southworth
Published by Sarasota Magazine

Community Leaders Experience Life After Lockup Simulation A Sarasota nonprofit's immersive simulation compresses the first chaotic weeks after prison release into a single hour, revealing the obstacles many formerly incarcerated people face as they rebuild their lives.

Thank you to the Florida Department of Corrections, Sarasota South County Probation, and Twelfth Judicial Circuit Employment Specialist Diane Gray for facilitating last Friday's Busy Bee Job Fair.

Events like these create meaningful opportunities by connecting job seekers with employers and resources that can help them move forward. Employment is one of the most important factors in successful reentry and long-term stability, and we are grateful for partners who continue investing in second chances and workforce development.

We appreciate everyone who participated and helped make this event a success. Together, we are building stronger pathways to employment, self-sufficiency, and lasting change.

The conversations sparked during our Reentry Simulation didn't end when the event was over.

As part of our continued commitment to addressing barriers to successful reentry, we are excited to be hosting Fellows from Notre Dame's Institute for Social Concerns this summer. They are helping coordinate the next phase of this work through two community-focused work groups:

🏠 Housing Work Group

💼 Employment Work Group

These groups will bring together community members, service providers, employers, housing professionals, and others who want to be part of creating practical solutions that support successful reintegration.

If you attended the Reentry Simulation and expressed interest, our Fellows will be reaching out soon with upcoming meeting details. If you were unable to attend the simulation but would still like to participate, we would love to have you involved.

Please email:
📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]

The goal of these work groups is simple: take what we learned during the simulation and turn those conversations into action that creates more opportunities for successful reentry in our community.

📸 Photo credit and thank you to@sidekickcr8 for capturing beautiful photos of the event and generously donating her time and talent to help tell this story.

🎥 A special thank you to for generously donating their time and production services to capture the Reentry Simulation. We look forward to sharing footage and highlights from the event soon.