New Campaign Reaches Out To Ex-Prisoners.

A new social marketing ad campaign, “Ex-prisoners are family too,” will be launched in San Francisco and Alameda Counties. The effort, sponsored by Centerforce, is designed to help parolees, their families, and the greater society improve the reentry of people coming out of prison.

The ads feature family members, a son, a brother and a wife, talking about the need to help parolees succeed in our communities. In one ad, a son says: “My dad just got out of prison. He will need my help and yours too. With a job, a place to live and healthcare, he will make it.”

According to Barry Zack, Centerforce Executive Director, “We know what works . . . and we do just the opposite. If we want to be serious about breaking the cycle, we have to help parolees and their families — we have to provide them jobs, housing and healthcare.”

The campaign was created by San Francisco based social marketing agency Better World Advertising with the participation of prisoners, parolees and family members. According to Les Pappas, President of Better World Advertising, “It was clear to us through the focus groups, that when people come out of prison they really do want to start over. The problem is that they can’t do it alone. The family members we talked with can help, but the larger community also has to provide some support.”

One of the largest campaigns of its kind ever, ads will appear throughout San Francisco and the East Bay. The ads start running this week in BART and MUNI, in bus shelters and in local newspapers. Posters and postcards will also be distributed. The campaign will continue through the summer.

Centerforce, a national leader in providing services to prisoners and their families, is the sponsor of the campaign. Their mission is to strengthen individuals and families affected by incarceration through a comprehensive system of education and support. Funding for the campaign comes from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the City of
Oakland/Project Choice.

To view the campaign CLICK below:

http://www.centerforce.org/exprisonersarefamilytoo