Project RETURN in the News

Riverwest Radio

Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern voices support for Project RETURN on Riverwest Radio, with Project RETURN Board President Rob Schreiber

“It’s great to see transitional housing emerging for people coming back into the community. There is such need for people who are coming back to have a true pathway toward integrating back into the community and develop, for themselves, a productive path forward.
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“We have a lot of very talented, motivated people who are just looking for an opportunity. They just want a shot. And we should want that for them. Because we should want everybody who’s coming back to this community from the prison system to have a clear pathway toward building a life for themselves. It’s productive, it’s prosperous and it contributes to our larger community."

Urban Milwaukee

Milwaukee County CRC superintendent Chantell Jewell: “This is not a feel good, soft approach to crime. This is all wrapped in public safety. When people are able to thrive and succeed in our communities, we do, in fact, create healthier and safer communities, and I think that’s the end goal that we can all agree on.”

Wisconsin Public Radio

“Before they get out, we talk with individuals and they have this clear-cut idea of what they’re going to do, how they’re going to do it. And then they get out, and life gets in the way,” said Wendel Hruska, executive director of Project Return. 

TMJ4

Reentering society after incarceration comes with many challenges—finding a job, securing housing, and adjusting to a new way of life. But Project RETURN is working to change that.

620WTMJ

“This is an opportunity to help create stability for our returning citizens so they can engage with employment opportunities and other supportive services that will lessen the likelihood that they will re-engage the criminal justice system,” says CRC Superintendent Chantell Jewell.

WUWM: Milwaukee's NPR

When people in Milwaukee County return to the community after incarceration, 42% of them need housing assistance. That’s why Project RETURN is now providing housing.
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In downtown Milwaukee near the courthouse, 12 apartments will house people for up to six months where they can receive on-site resources and support. 

BizTimes

We are pleased and honored to share that Project RETURN has been named "Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year" by BizTimes as part of their annual 2023 Nonprofit Excellence Awards. This award is given to a nonprofit in recognition of creativity and innovation in building a sustainable organization, excellence in teamwork, an outstanding dedication to the organization’s mission in the community, and organizational excellence in management and operations.

Wisconsin Watch

Transfr, a New York company, seeks to put virtual reality technology in the hands of people who are incarcerated in Wisconsin, hoping they can overcome barriers to employment once released. 

“From a personal and professional standpoint, I can tell you that a good-paying, career-supporting job is very essential to someone staying out and keeping that recidivism rate down,” said Andre Brown, employment specialist with Project RETURN, a reentry nonprofit established nearly 50 years ago

Journal Sentinel

Read about Clinical Counselor & Group Facilitator Clem Richardson's drive to save the next generations of Milwaukee's children.

He’s now a counselor at Project Return, a nonprofit agency that helps people being released from jail or prison. Richardson works with men and youths. Instead of hustling for street cred, he’s working to save one of the most vulnerable populations in Milwaukee — black boys.
Prison to Promise Podcast
"​From Conviction to Compassion: The Geno Nelson Story"

Morning Blend

Watch the Morning Blend's interview to learn about Project RETURN's impact on the Milwaukee community for the past 40 years.

"Both the BLM movement and Project RETURN are working to show the whole community and country that Black persons have as much potential, worth, and dignity as anyone else," said Pastor Joseph Ellwanger, founder and board member of Project RETURN.

Lake Effect

Listen to the Lake Effect's interview for a deep dive into Project RETURN's mission in battling recidivism in Southeast Wisconsin.

“They treated me like I was no different from one of them. So even in my mind, I thought that I was less than, they treated me like I was one of them and eventually the love that they continued to show me took away my options to go back to where I was and then it started to build me up to see a whole different side of life,” says Rodney Evans, board president of Project RETURN. 

WISN 12 News

Watch WISN 12's coverage of Project RETURN's 2020 Virtual Gala!

“When I met project return, or when they met me, I was drowning in the criminal justice system... I went to the program that my PO sent me to at Project RETURN and they showed me a different way at looking at myself and life," says Rodney Evans, board president of Project RETURN. 

Radio Milwaukee

Listen to Radio Milwaukee's conversation about the mental health treatment courts in Milwaukee with Pastor Joe Ellwanger and Judge Cynthia Davis. These courts divert people with serious mental disorders from jail to treatment. Learn more at the link to the right.
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“There is some pushback from people who have a kind of as the saying goes, ‘If you do the crime, then pay the time,’ mentality,” says Pastor Joseph Ellwanger, board member and founder of Project RETURN. “If you have that mentality this appears to be letting somebody off the hook of responsibility and accountability but the drug treatment courts and the mental health treatment court really keeps people accountable. They have to come and report to the judge on a regular basis, whether they are maintaining their journey of recovery or not.”

EXPO Radio

Take a listen to board member Rob Schreiber's conversation with state assembly member Evan Goyke. He is a Marquette alum who continues to work on bills dealing with Justice reform. He is currently a member of Juvenile Corrections Study Committee and the Joint Finance Committee.