Reentry Resources

Community Resource Guide

The guide has been compiled with the intention of increasing public access to services that are free or low-cost in the New Orleans area. Most listings are for services located in Orleans & Jefferson parishes, although select state and nationwide services have also been included. It has been produced as a public service by volunteer community members. Resources and eligibility may have changed since the time this guide was written, so we recommend connecting to service providers directly to obtain accurate and up to date information.

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NOLA for Life Re-Entry Resource Guide

Developed in May 2012, NOLA FOR LIFE is Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s comprehensive murder reduction strategy to tackle the city’s historically-high murder rate. The re-entry resource guide contains listings for housing, employment, education, legal aid/advocacy, mental health, nutrition assistance, and substance abuse counseling.

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Monthly Expungement Clinic and Free Legal Help

The Justice and Accountability Center hosts monthly expungement clinics in which you can receive FREE legal advice on your expungement issues. JAC also provides free legal advice including: child support, driver's licenses, traffic tickets, TWIC, evictions, consumer law, and public benefits. Call for an intake at (504) 322-4050 and check the website below for upcoming clinics.

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FIT Clinic

The Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) Clinic program directly connects people coming out of incarceration with medical, mental health and substance use treatment in the communities to which they are returning. People who serve prison sentences, even if previously in good health, tend to leave correctional facilities with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis and cancer. To make an appointment call (504) 475-3784 or (504) 357-8972

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How to Get a Driver's License When You Return Home From Prison

Obtaining your driver’s license after incarceration can present a ton of hurdles, from existing suspensions, revocation, cancellations, and more. Here's how to navigating the process from start to finish:

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Trauma 101 and Steps to Recovery

Coming home from incarceration, regardless of the length of time, can present many emotional barriers. There is often a lingering and persistent psychological and emotional impact of incarceration, which we now know as Post-incarceration Syndrome (PICS). By asking the question of "what happened to you?" rather than "what's wrong with you?, we can work to better understand our overall mental health and wellbeing: our traumas, our triggers, and the various steps we can take to live a meaningful, healthy life. As most of our staff have been through the carceral system as well, we understand how formerly incarcerated individuals are often reluctant to receive help due to the lack of trust that therapists will not understand them, or feel a pressure to prove they are not “volatile.” While there are not a ton of FIP specific therapies out there yet, we came together to provide a list of New Orleans based support groups and behavioral therapists we personally recommend or have worked with in the past. This resource also provides some helpful definitions of trauma-based language specific for FIPs.

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If you need urgent mental health support for a crisis, you can call the MHSD 24 hour crisis line at (504) 826-2675.

Re-Entry Resources