INSIDE OUT REENTRY INC
One community seeking change from the Inside Out
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Currently, there are over 2.2 million people incarcerated in the United States. In Iowa, there are over 7,400 people in state correctional facilities, and more than 4,000 in county jails. African-Americans, low income individuals, and those living with mental illness are disproportionately incarcerated by the criminal justice system. Returning to and becoming an active member of society after incarceration is tough. These returning citizens are in great need of community support to rebuild their lives and avoid reoffending, and yet public attitudes toward formerly incarcerated people continue to limit their opportunities. IO’s mission is to support people involved in the criminal legal system in changing from the inside out, and to educate the public, in order to promote healing, restore relationships and achieve success in the community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Housing Assistance
The mission of Inside Out Reentry Community (IO) is to support people involved in the criminal legal system in changing from the inside out, and to educate the public, in order to promote healing, restore relationships and achieve success in the community.
Employment Readiness
Inside Out can assist its members with their job search. This includes resume building, filling out applications, finding employment leads, and connecting with other employment resources.
Substance Use Recovery
Inside Out supports its members in all stages of substance use recovery. We are happy to connect people with recovery resources in the area or talk with members one on one about their recovery goals. We also host a weekly substance use recovery meeting every Tuesday.
Transportation Assistance
Inside Out recognizes that transportation can be a significant barrier to a successful reentry. To help our members overcome this, we provide limited bus passes and can arrange for rides in certain cases. We also connect our members with local transportation resources to help them develop a long-term transportation plan.
Education/Life skills Training
Inside Out provides multiple educational opportunities. We are able to connect members with tutors to help them prepare for tests such as the HiSET. We also host regular financial literacy and other life skills trainings.
Mentorships
Inside Out can pair interested members with volunteer mentors. These mentors can help those returning to the community by providing friendship and support. Mentors are paired based on interests and help our members overcome barriers, increase confidence, and reach goals.
Peer Support
Inside Out hosts weekly community meetings for our members. This space allows people to connect with other formerly incarcerated citizens and provide support to each other. Meetings often include discussions related to reentry, workshops on life skills, and presentations from community speakers.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Resource Visits in a year.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Peer Support
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of individuals at Community Meetings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Peer Support
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Inside Out’s vision is that people involved in the criminal legal system will achieve the greatest possible success with the support of their communities. We aim to provide a safe, and non judgemental community for our members to belong to and gain support. Inside Out has three main goals as defined in our strategic plan. The goals are that our core members will find and successfully maintain employment that is financially viable and brings satisfaction and meaning for the long-term, have safe stable, accessible and dignified housing, and will engage in ongoing personal growth activities to reach their potential.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Inside Out Reentry Community fulfills its mission through providing comprehensive case management which includes individualized reentry planning. Inside Out provides assistance with securing employment and housing, providing referrals and supports for substance use and mental health, offers a drop in resource center where members can come and get support, weekly community meetings, life skills classes, tutoring and opportunities to serve the community. Inside Out also pairs interested members with mentors in the community for additional support. Inside Out provides outreach and reentry planning to individuals who are currently incarcerated or under work-release supervision through letter and email correspondence. Lastly, criminal justice reform and education for the wider community on the struggles and challenges of returning citizens is an important part of our work. In the past five years IO has hosted a variety of events including a community justice reform series, a community reentry forum, a two day reentry summit, three film screenings, and five reentry/parole simulations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Inside Out Reentry Community has a full-time executive director, who is a licensed social worker, and a full-time case worker, who is a formerly incarcerated individual, who both work closely with returning citizens. Our case worker previously worked as a peer recovery coach at the Abbe Center and is a volunteer life coach at the Dream Center. With a network of dedicated volunteers and supportive community partners, Inside Out has found success in helping formerly incarcerated individuals find stable housing and employment as well as helping them with their personal growth goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
IO has seen many successes since its founding in 2014, most significantly building a supportive community for returning citizens that did not exist prior to the organization's efforts. IO is one of only a few reentry organizations across the state that does this work and is recognized as a state leader. IO currently supports over 130 individuals each year, runs weekly support groups, and has established community partnerships.
Criminal justice reform and education for the wider community on the struggles and challenges of returning citizens have been key components of Inside Out’s work since its inception. Since 2015, IO has hosted multiple community reentry forums, a 2 day reentry summit, and 5 parole/reentry simulations reaching hundreds of attendees. IO will continue to meet the challenges of serving returning citizens and educating the public while addressing the safety of the community due to the impact of Covid-19.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
INSIDE OUT REENTRY INC
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2023
Mr. John Whiston
Retired Clinical Professor of Law, University of Iowa
Heather Erwin
UI LABB
Jeremy Flaming
Hoefer Law Firm
Richard Grugin
Retired Offender Workforce Development Specialist
Jason Knox
Returning Citizen
Dale Helling
Retired Assistant City of Iowa City Manager
Daniel Tallman
Acceptance Recovery Counseling
Doren Walker
Community Volunteer/Returning Citizen
Dorothy Whiston
Retired Pastor, First Baptist Church
Royceann Porter
Johnson County Board of Supervisors
Nancy Quellhorst
Retired President & CEO, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce
John Whiston
Retired Clinical Professor of Law, University of Iowa
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/04/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.