• People who perservere through long-term incarceration develop unique skills that increases their likelihood for success when given the opportunity. Some have thrived in creating and implementing environmental programs in an extremely difficult climate, making them especially suited to become Environmental Solution Architects. Specifically, long-term incarcerated people:
• Develop tremendous adaptability.
• Are adept at overcoming obstructionism and obstacles.
• Are extremely innovative.
• Develop strength and resilience.
• Are willing to take on tasks that some would find menial.
• Are not already addicted to technology (i.e. smartphones, social media, etc.)
• Are highly motivated to achieve specific goals.
• Are willing to devote long hours to succeed.
• Understand the value of persistence.
• Have an urgency to succeed quickly to make up for lost time.
• Are yearning for opportunities for redemption and giving back to their community.
• People who have experienced long-term incarceration also face numerous obstacles and hurdles upon release from prison including:
  • Limited employment opportunities.
  • Difficulty securing housing.
  • Lack of family and community support due to length of their incarceration.
  • Prison PTSD
• While many hurdles are well known, one that we are particularly aware of and hope to address is that people completing long-term sentences have lost decades 0f prime wage earning capacity and lack financial equity. They exit prison with the hurdles described above and the additional deficit of having accumulated financial worth. They have not been paying off a mortgage, building a career, contributing to a retirement plan, or even accruing social security benefits. They don't have a toolbox or even pots and pans to cook with. They are confronted with huge obstacles to immediate survival and they face a future of abject poverty as they age.
• Another critical aspect of long-term success for formerly incarcerated people is to acknowledge the feelings of guilt and low self-esteem that develop in the first period of prison life when individuals reflect on past actions through a lens of sobriety. These attitudes are further fostered and reinforced by the incarcerated setting.
• In addition to providing opportunities for individuals to develop their trtade, it is essential to provide an environment that allows time and space to internalize personal self-worth and to awaken to the knowledge that they have many traits that are valued in society.

The dual purpose of EARN is to mitigate the damage of long-term incarceration while simultaneously capitalizing on the resiliency and skills of people who have found a way to thrive in an environment designed to do them harm.