Emerge Connecticut

Founded in 2011, EMERGE Connecticut™ is a nonprofit social enterprise that assists formerly incarcerated people to successfully integrate back into their communities through a dual model that pairs paid work with trauma-informed support. We believe providing job placement to formerly incarcerated people without providing skills training, educational opportunities, and individualized support for emotional and mental health is ineffective and inequitable. Indeed, we have found relieving pressure placed on crewmembers to find employment allows them to take fuller advantage of supportive services. During their individualized journey, EMERGE crewmembers gain applied skills in areas such as construction, demolition, landscaping, green infrastructure, urban forestry, stormwater management, and property management—all industry-standard skillsets meant to rebuild their employment history—while simultaneously engaging in programs designed to help them heal.