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Diane Williams, president and CEO of Chicago-based Safer Foundation, was honored today as a “Champion of Change” at the White House for the organization’s innovative and proven programs supporting formerly incarcerated individuals with a spectrum of services, resulting in a significant reduction in recidivism rates and strengthening of Illinois communities.

The “Champions of Change Series: Winning the Future Across America" is a White House initiative that honors Americans making an impact in their communities and helping the nation rise to meet the many challenges of the 21^st century. Williams and other award recipients met today with White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske to share best practices from their work within the community.

"On behalf of Safer Foundation, I am honored to be named a 'Champion of Change’ by Director Kerlikowske and the White House," Williams said. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our entire organization to ensure that Illinois citizens with criminal records have the resources to become working, law-abiding members of the community. It is gratifying that reentry services have captured our nation’s attention and support as a critical need for stronger communities."

The recognition comes to Williams for Safer Foundation’s “Safer Return” program feature in the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy, recently released by the Obama Administration as a blueprint for reducing drug use and its consequences across the country.

As a five-year demonstration program, Safer Return is the product of the organization’s partnership with the Urban Institute to develop a prisoner reentry pilot project focused on Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood. Made possible by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Safer Return is an innovative, community-based reentry initiative that engages the entire community in positively affecting prisoner reentry and reducing recidivism.

Safer Return is a collaborative effort of community members, law enforcement, service providers, businesses and participants. As part of the program, community members and case managers visit program participants while they are still in prison to begin reentry planning. Reentry coaches work with clients on a range of important issues, such as physical health, substance abuse treatment, housing and employment. The Illinois Department of Corrections provides specially trained, community-based parole officers who partner with Safer Return coaches.

Williams said that programs like Safer Return provide a solid return on investment to the state by placing former inmates in jobs and ultimately keeping them out of the prison system. It’s estimated that Illinois pays over $22,000 per year to incarcerate each inmate. With over 3800 job starts in fiscal 2011, which ended June 30, 2011, Safer saved the state more than $83 million assuming an average stay in prison of one year.

Safer Foundation conducted a three-year study and found that formerly incarcerated individuals who attain employment have a recidivism rate of 18 percent, compared to the statewide average of 52 percent.

"Not only are employed individuals less likely to commit crimes, but they also become taxpayers, contributing to state revenues from which they formerly subtracted," Williams said.