AFN Partners with ETSU to Release Re-Entry Report

AFN’s Health Group recently commissioned “Workforce Re-Entry for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in Appalachia” to understand what’s happening at the intersection of health, re-entry, and workforce development in Rural Appalachia.

This data was compiled into a literature review, in partnership with East Tennessee State University’s Center for Rural Health Research, by Margaret Francisco, DrPH(c), MPH and shared with those in attendance as a free resource.

You can access the report here:

Thanks to the support of the United Philanthropy Forum, AFN was able to enter this partnership with East Tennessee State University to summarize existing research around re-entry practices and resources and how they relate to the health in Central Appalachia, as well as host a convening focused around these findings. On November 2-3, 2023, AFN hosted a Rural Re-Entry Workforce Convening at The Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, TN. This was a highly participatory event aimed at reviewing new data and helping to build structures that will benefit individuals looking to re-enter the workforce from incarceration in rural areas. This convening created a space for us to come together as funders, practitioners, government officials, and more to collaborate, lift up best practices, and identify the biggest areas of need in our region. Ultimately, we worked to explore and define opportunities available to philanthropy to help bridge these gaps.

If you attended the Re-Entry convening and came away with new partnerships and strategies, we would love to hear about your work and impact! Please Contact Us.