Safer Foundation

Safer Foundation
Name	Safer Foundation
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1972
Founder	Fredrick G. Smith
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Area served	Illinois, United States
Focus	Reentry services, employment, education, policy advocacy

Safer Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reentry services and employment opportunities for people with criminal records. Founded in 1972, it has grown into one of the largest nonprofit providers of employment and workforce development services for formerly incarcerated people in the United States. The organization operates programs that connect clients with employers, educational institutions, social service agencies, and policy stakeholders to reduce recidivism and promote community reintegration.

History

The organization was established in 1972 during a period of expanding social services in Chicago, alongside institutions such as the United Way of Chicago, Hull House, and the Chicago Urban League. Early work intersected with initiatives in Cook County, collaborations with the Illinois Department of Corrections, and pilot programs influenced by recidivism research from universities like the University of Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. In subsequent decades, the organization responded to changes stemming from federal policy shifts such as the Crime Control Act of 1994 and efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice to promote reentry strategies. Expansion in the 1990s and 2000s brought partnerships with workforce agencies including the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership and connections to philanthropic actors like the MacArthur Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The organization’s history reflects broader reforms from advocates associated with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Sentencing Project, and the Vera Institute of Justice focused on alternatives to incarceration and employment-based reintegration.

Mission and Programs

The mission emphasizes employment, education, and supportive services to reduce recidivism and improve public safety, positioning the organization among peers such as Center for Employment Opportunities, Homeboy Industries, and the Delancey Street Foundation. Program models draw on evidence from studies at institutions like Columbia University, Harvard Kennedy School, and Johns Hopkins University that link job stability to lower recidivism. Service arrays include job readiness training, employer engagement, transitional work, vocational certification, and legal assistance related to records, echoing best practices promoted by the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The organization also collaborates with higher education partners including DePaul University, Northwestern University, and University of Illinois Chicago for research and training.

Reentry Services

Direct reentry services encompass intake assessment, case management, vocational training, and placement with employers in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, and construction. The approach has parallels with workforce pipelines developed by Amazon, UPS, and Caterpillar apprenticeship partnerships and incorporates credentialing aligned with standards set by organizations like the American Welding Society and National Retail Federation. Supportive services include housing referrals to providers like Chicago Housing Authority, behavioral health linkages with agencies modeled on Thresholds (organization), and legal record-clearing assistance informed by developments in Illinois Criminal Justice Reform, including partnerships with clinics at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and University of Chicago Law School.

Policy and Advocacy

Advocacy work engages state and federal policymakers, aligning with reform campaigns led by groups such as Restore Justice Illinois, All of Us or None, and national coalitions including the National Reentry Resource Center and the Council of State Governments. Policy priorities include reducing employment barriers imposed by collateral consequences, supporting record sealing and expungement laws like Illinois’ reforms, and promoting fair chance hiring policies akin to the Fair Chance Hiring movement and local ordinances influenced by advocates at Champaign County, Cook County Board, and the City of Chicago. The organization participates in legislative stakeholder processes alongside entities such as the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, National Employment Law Project, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on issues intersecting with criminal records and labor rights.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams comprise government contracts from agencies like the Illinois Department of Human Services, grants from foundations such as the MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, and corporate partnerships with employers and workforce intermediaries including Aramark, Hilton, and local small business networks. Programmatic partnerships extend to community-based organizations like Peace Corners, faith-based groups associated with the Archdiocese of Chicago, and workforce systems coordinated through the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership and Illinois’ workforce development boards. Research and evaluation collaborations have involved universities and policy institutes such as the Urban Institute, MDRC, and the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.

Impact and Outcomes

The organization reports outcomes on job placement, retention, and recidivism reduction that have informed practice nationally. Evaluations and data analyses reference metrics common to studies by the Pew Center on the States, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and academic research from Rutgers University and University of Michigan. Its models have been cited in policy briefs by the Brookings Institution and program comparisons with Center for Employment Opportunities and state reentry initiatives in Ohio and California. Outcomes emphasize multi-month placement stability, access to industry-recognized credentials, and reductions in rearrest rates documented through partnerships with county and state criminal justice data systems.

Notable Leadership and Governance

Leadership has included executives and board members drawn from civic, philanthropic, legal, and business sectors, including collaborators with the Chicago Bar Association, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and corporate boards connected to firms like Northern Trust and JPMorgan Chase. Governance structures conform to nonprofit best practices promoted by the Council on Foundations and involve advisory councils with representatives from academic institutions such as University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and workforce organizations like Goodwill Industries International. Prominent former and current leaders have engaged in national forums hosted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Governors Association, and conferences at Brookings Institution and Aspen Institute convenings on criminal justice reform.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Category:Criminal justice reform organizations in the United States