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Sioux Falls nonprofit and 'Leaders of Tomorrow' describe housing and training that aim to cut recidivism
Summary
Saint Francis House and the Leaders of Tomorrow program told the task force their transitional housing, job placements and peer-led leadership training produce high completion and low return rates among participants, and asked the task force to back funding for statewide expansion.
Julie Becker, CEO of Saint Francis House in Sioux Falls, told the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force that her organization's DOC contracts (work release and transitional housing) provide a bundled approach to reentry that includes employment, case management, cultural programming and housing supports. "Once we get them to that level of change, we have an 87 percent success. They do not return to prison," Becker said when describing outcomes for residents who progress to transitional housing.
Becker described current capacity (52 beds, plus a planned 10-bed increase after July 1) and a multi-part housing continuum that includes an 11-unit Copper Arms apartment complex for judicially impacted residents and a master-lease program that guarantees rent to local landlords while providing case-management oversight. She said the organization has paid off more than $3.2 million in client debt historically and credited community partnerships and employer networks for steady placements.
Troy Ponto, director at Saint Francis House and a 34-year DOC veteran, described program rules and supervision: case managers meet residents for intake and recurring planning, residents attend employability classes and must apply for multiple jobs per day. Ponto said the program uses strict accountability (breathalyzers, program rules) and works with parole to smooth transitions to community supervision.
Separately, Tami Dysart, CEO of Think3d, presented the Leaders of Tomorrow curriculum, a 16-week leadership program adapted for justice-impacted cohorts and accredited locally. Dysart said pre/post surveys show dramatic gains in self-confidence, emotional regulation and job readiness; she reported that graduates reoffend at substantially lower rates than the statewide average, citing program follow-up that showed less than one-third of graduates reoffend compared with state averages near 75% in some measures.
Legislators and staff discussed a previously proposed funding bill that would have paid for five years of programming and training; presenters and several legislators urged embedding program funds within the governorbudget or including the task force recommendation in a package to improve the bill's odds in a future session.
Why it matters: Both presentations emphasized scalable, community-based housing and peer-led training as cost-effective complements to DOC programming. Task force members flagged housing availability and sustainable funding as the main barriers to statewide scale.
Next steps: Saint Francis House and Leaders of Tomorrow invited task force members to tours and graduations; presenters asked the task force to consider funding models and formal recommendations to support expansion.
