Formerly Inc. is more than a consulting agency. We are a movement, a think tank, and a solution-driven organization built to challenge the cycle of incarceration and help end recidivism at its core.
We believe reentry does not begin at the prison gate — it begins the moment incarceration starts. That is where the real work must begin. Too often, people are released back into society without the tools, support, mindset, or preparation necessary to succeed. Formerly Inc. was created to change that reality.
Our work is rooted in prevention, restoration, accountability, and transformation. We develop and facilitate workshops, trainings, simulations, and evidence-based programming designed to educate, empower, and prepare justice-impacted individuals for successful reintegration into their families, workplaces, and communities.
At the same time, we recognize that true systems change requires educating not only those impacted by incarceration, but also the professionals working within the system. Formerly Inc. provides dynamic training and consulting for correctional staff, parole and probation officers, judicial professionals, treatment providers, community organizations, and leadership teams seeking to build safer, more effective, and more human-centered approaches to justice and recovery.
Our lived experience is our expertise. Many of our facilitators have personally survived incarceration, addiction, trauma, recovery, and reentry. We bring authenticity, credibility, and practical knowledge into every room we enter. We are not teaching theory from a distance — we are teaching what we have lived, overcome, and continue to build every day.
We believe safer communities are not created through punishment alone. Safer communities are built when people heal, when families reconnect, when individuals discover purpose, and when systems begin to treat rehabilitation as seriously as they treat incarceration.
People who feel valued make better choices. People who feel connected are less likely to harm themselves or others. People who believe they have a future fight harder to protect it.
That is why Formerly Inc. exists.
We are building the machine designed to interrupt cycles of incarceration, strengthen communities, reduce violence, restore dignity, and create pathways for lasting change. Because public safety begins long before release — it begins when people finally believe they are worth saving.
At Formerly Inc., we do not study the criminal justice system from a distance — we have lived it, worked in it, challenged it, and helped people survive it. Our team understands the system from the inside out because many of us have personally experienced incarceration, addiction, recovery, reentry, supervision, and the barriers that continue long after a sentence ends.
That lived experience, combined with professional expertise, is what makes our work different.
We are consultants, strategists, facilitators, and community leaders who understand both the human side of justice involvement and the systemic failures that continue to drive recidivism across this country. We know the policies. We know the institutions. But more importantly, we know the people behind the statistics.
Every month, approximately 2,000 individuals return to communities across Connecticut from jails and prisons. Many come home carrying the same burdens they had before incarceration — poverty, unemployment, trauma, unstable housing, untreated mental health challenges, addiction, fractured family relationships, and hopelessness. Without meaningful intervention, those challenges often become the pathway back into the system.
Formerly Inc. exists to interrupt that cycle.
We believe reentry is not simply about release — it is about restoration. It is about preparing individuals to return home with purpose, confidence, support, and opportunity. It is about helping systems move beyond punishment and toward prevention, healing, accountability, and long-term public safety.
Our approach combines evidence-based practices, lived experience mentorship, workforce development, emotional intelligence, recovery support, leadership development, and practical life skills training designed to create lasting behavioral change. We work directly with justice-impacted individuals while also training correctional staff, probation and parole officers, judicial stakeholders, treatment providers, and community organizations to better understand the realities of incarceration, trauma, addiction, and successful reintegration.
We are trusted because our work is authentic. We speak the language of the community and the language of the system. We know how to bridge the gap between both worlds because we have walked in both.
At Formerly Inc., we are not interested in temporary solutions or performative conversations. We are focused on building safer communities by helping people rebuild themselves from the inside out.
Because when people are given tools instead of labels, support instead of isolation, and opportunity instead of barriers, transformation becomes possible.
Contact Us: To learn more about our services or to request a consultation, don't hesitate to contact us at Fomerlyinc.org or (860) 501- 4580. We look forward to working with you to effect meaningful change in the criminal justice system.
1. Identify the needs of the target population: Conduct a needs assessment to determine the needs of individuals with SUD returning to the community. The needs assessment should include demographics, substance use history, mental health history, and social support.
2. Develop a relapse prevention program: Based on the findings from the needs assessment, develop a relapse prevention program that includes evidence-based practices and is tailored to meet the unique needs of the target population. The program should include individual and group counseling, substance abuse education, coping skills training, and peer support.
3. Recruit and train mentors: Recruit and train mentors with experience working with individuals with SUD. Mentors should be individuals who are in recovery and have experience with relapse prevention. They should be able to provide support, encouragement, and guidance to program participants.
4. Provide case management services: Provide case management services to program participants to help them navigate the challenges of reentry. Case managers should assist participants in accessing healthcare, housing, employment, and education.
5. Evaluate the program: Develop an evaluation plan to measure the program's effectiveness. The evaluation should include process and outcome measures to determine the program's impact on participants. Use the evaluation results to make improvements to the program.
6. Budget: Based on the needs assessment and program development, allocate the budget for the program. Ensure the funding is sufficient to cover the cost to implement and succeed with a successful program.