Mentorship program puts returning citizens on path to business ownership

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner recognized today formerly incarcerated men and women who have completed the first of three phases of their training to start and operate a business through the Pathway to Enterprise for Returning Citizens (PERC) program. PERC is a privately funded initiative aimed at reducing prison recidivism rates by giving people who aspire to build their own businesses the tools they need to succeed.

A total of 16 men and women completed the first phase and will now move on to the second phase of training — mentorship. They’ll work with an experienced business professional who’ll critique their business plans and coach them on how to build a market for their product, establish their brand, maintain creditworthiness, and generate income while their business is in its infant stages.

The third phase of training will involve applying for capital. Those who complete the program successfully will be positioned to receive a privately funded loan of up to $50,000 to launch their businesses.

“Too often, the men and women who have served time in a correctional center are counted out. We’re changing that and giving them an opportunity to start their own business, create jobs, and build in the communities where they live,” Rauner said at today’s ceremony. “That’s how you put people on a path to success, that’s how you build generational wealth, and that’s how you stop the cycle of incarceration. We’re proud to see these men and women rise up and we wish them the best as they continue on this journey.”

The Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Micro Finance Group (CNIMFG) and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) played a critical role in launching the pilot program last November, and worked closely with the private organizations to secure more than $1 million to get the program started.

“We’re working to empower the most underserved populations by creating economic opportunities through entrepreneurship,” said Erica King, vice president of lending for CNIMFG. “We are excited to extend that same service to formerly incarcerated individuals who are seeking to live in a secure and inclusive community. The training, coaching and capital access that PERC provides will equip returning citizens with the tools they need to start businesses and create employment opportunities for themselves and others in their community.”

“We are thrilled to see the first group of PERC participants make it through the first phase of training,” said ICJIA’s Randy Kurtz. “We are cheering for their success and hopeful that they will take what they learn and build a better future for themselves.”

“There has been a history of a lack of support for minority–owned businesses as well as its entrepreneurial community, especially those who are returning citizens,” said PERC Program Manager Marcus Yancey. “We hope these entrepreneurs will go back into their communities with some of the knowledge and resources that PERC has provided and open businesses, hire within their community and help reduce unemployment rates.”

Men and women who are interested in participating in the PERC program apply before they are released from a correctional center. The PERC team works with the Illinois Department of Corrections to identify candidates who are returning to communities in the South and West Sides of Chicago.

“We are on a mission to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for the men and women sentenced to us. Unique programming such as PERC gives offenders the hope and skills they need to create better futures for their families,” said IDOC Director John Baldwin. “The individuals who take part in this program are taking charge of their lives and we look forward to their accomplishments as they put the training they have learned into motion.”

Training services for the PERC program are provided by The Safer Foundation of Illinois, Bethel New Life in the Austin neighborhood, and Sunshine Enterprises, based in Woodlawn. Additional training will be provided by the North Lawndale Employment Network.

The PERC program highlights Rauner’s commitment to reform the state’s criminal justice system and set formerly incarcerated individuals up for success upon release. Since taking office, Rauner has worked to remove barriers that prevented former offenders from receiving professional licenses in health care fields and cosmetology; worked with legislators on both sides of the aisle to change sentencing laws and ensure former offenders get access to a state ID and their birth certificates; and opened Life Skills Re-Entry Centers that provide offenders with training on how to prepare a budget, set realistic goals, and build interpersonal relationship skills.

The Illinois prison population is down more than 15 percent since Rauner took office in 2015.

Southern Illinois’ congressman expects President Donald Trump to talk about more than just tariffs and steel jobs when he visits the Metro East. 

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.