AZ Common Ground, Inc.

We support(through career and educational assessments, workforce development and employment placement, life skills classes, bus passes, work clothing, hygiene, etc.), advocate(engaging with business owners on behalf of our clients and fighting for criminal justice reform) and mentor(walking beside our clients to help them as they build success) previously incarcerated youth and adults to become servant leaders within Maricopa County.

AZ Common Ground (AZCG) is a community-based organization created behind the razor wire of a prison fence by three former inmates who developed a plan to provide services to youth and adults upon their release from prison. These men came together to form this organization based on their unique perspective of having been ex-offenders; experiencing the difficult process of reentry firsthand, and learning to rebuild their own lives as convicted felons. AZ Common Ground was established due to the high recidivism rate of ex-offenders once released from incarceration, the lack of successful reentry programs and services offered to ex-offenders, and the desire to assist communities and organizations to support victims of crime, and prevent new crimes from occurring.
AZ Common Ground currently serves 175 to 215 new clients each month.
Of those approximately 200 new clients, 10 to 15% enroll in one of our several programs and request to develop a professional relationship with AZ Common Ground.
Of the 85 to 90% who connect with us for resources only; two-thirds obtain employment from a job lead our organization provided.
175 to 225 clients graduate one of our programs each year and on average 150 clients graduate our programs who are medium or high risk.
Since 2010 our organization has graduated 834 clients/students and 47 have returned back to incarceration, however, 14 have returned with new charges. The remaining 33 returned to incarceration on technical violations.

Testimonials

The program saved my life! - Kevin Smith