It takes data to make a believer. In a context that esteems data points, empirical measurements, and scientific rigor to provide the legitimacy behind decision-making, we must have the numbers on our side. Data also has the opportunity to provide irrefutable evidence to the assumptive stories that we tell ourselves.

In 2022, the CROP Organization and Exygy partnered to create a platform for the largest data collection on formerly justice-involved reentry ever done in the state of California. CROP Organization’s Ready 4 Life program equips formerly incarcerated individuals with the tool, community, and unwavering support needed to thrive in their communities.

In this panel, we will discuss how we designed a platform that accounts for the emerging needs of CROP’s Ready 4 Life program and the reentry ecosystem at large. The data collected has the ability for us to use data to create and advocate for policies and tell better stories about how we engage with formerly justice-involved individuals.

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Technology exponentially developed starting in 2000, making it challenging for incarcerated individuals to understand and navigate many new technologies upon release. This is why upskilling formerly incarcerated individuals is incredibly important to the mission of CROP’s Ready 4 Life program. Learn more at minute 7.
2. Finding available resources for individuals exiting the prison system can be a challenge. CROP is working to create a platform that consolidates all of those resources in a single hub. Learn more at minute 9.
3. Formerly incarcerated individuals, often from BIPOC communities, are typically the last to enter the tech workforce. It is therefore important that we provide resources to close that gap and work to hire formerly incarcerated individuals in our companies. Learn more at minute 21.