Voices of Reentry
Voices of Reentry brings us inside the lives of George, Shaquan, Sing, and Armando as they navigate life after incarceration. Through honest, deeply personal storytelling, the film reveals the barriers that make rebuilding difficult—and the role communities can play in creating a meaningful path home.
about the film
Each year, more than 600,000 people return from jail or prison to our communities, where they face countless barriers to employment, housing, and reintegration. Voices of Reentry explores the challenges of reentry and the role communities can play in reducing those barriers.
In the film, four storytellers—George, Shaquan, Sing, and Armando—share portions of their life stories, illuminating the common threads running through the experiences of millions of people affected by incarceration in the United States.
Voices of Reentry creates space to speak openly about life after a conviction and incarceration, helping bridge the gap between people directly impacted by mass incarceration and those who have not shared that experience. By listening to stories outside our own experience, we take a first step toward empathy, understanding, and civic healing.
In-person and virtual screenings are available for classroom, campus, at-home, and community viewings. total runtime: 42 minutes
available resources
Watch Party Guide • Community Discussion + Engagement Guide • Take Action
in memory
Meet George Halfkenny
George Halfkenny was one of the four storytellers at the heart of Voices of Reentry and a co-founder of THRIVE Communities, where he helped create a restorative, community-based approach to supporting people returning from incarceration.
George understood the barriers to reentry personally. Even as he worked to help others, he struggled to find stable housing and meaningful employment after his own release. He became a central voice in the film’s impact campaign, joining community conversations and using his story to help audiences understand both the realities of reentry and the difference a welcoming community can make.
In his Boston Globe essay, “I’ve Done My Time. I Want to Work. Why Will No One Hire Me?” George wrote candidly about why employment remained out of reach long after he had served his sentence.
