Ex-Incarcerated Corporate SUCCESS Story

RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division

This is exactly what the RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division stands for!  Kudos to Doepel Strijkers Architects and all those involved with making this transformation a True SUCCESS!

Ex-Cons Transform a Factory Into a Dazzling Recycled Office [Slideshow]

 

Holland-based Doepel Strijkers Architects has unveiled a striking new office building in Rotterdam. We're not sure what's more interesting about it: the fact that it was designed to astonishingly exacting environmental standards or that it was built by folks who've done time in the pokey.

The HAKA Building is a pre-war factory that Doepel Strijkers is converting into a "clean tech living lab" for eco-friendly water and energy organizations. The project is an experiment of sorts in how socially and environmentally minded architecture can benefit the region. The ultimate goal: A wasteless building.

So to cut back on energy and transportation costs, the architects sourced all their materials locally, either second-hand or from demolition sites. You've got seating made from the wood of abandoned post-war housing; a meeting room fashioned entirely out of recycled doors; and an acoustic wall created with a whopping 17,700-pound pile of old clothes. A team of (supervised) ex-cons threw it all together.

Developed in partnership with public and private groups, the HAKA building is based on a circular economic model -- the idea that everything, from labor to materials, is sourced locally, resulting in bigger payoffs for the city, both from an environmental and a financial standpoint. As a result, the whole process is being meticulously documented and measured right down to the man hours it takes to turn board doors into benches (32). The hope is that the data will inform a broader redevelopment scheme in the area, one that gives sustainability pride of place.

[Images courtesy of Doepel Strijkers Architects; hat tip to Frame magazine]

Thank you Jaxi West

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663204/ex-cons-transform-a-factory-into-a-dazzling-recycled-office-slideshow#16 

RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division Finds New Home

RIFT SUCCESS proudly announces the new home of its 2nd Chance Division, whose main goal since inception has been to battle recidivism at its core.  To be able to do so means that ex-incarcerated individuals must have aid in acquiring employment in order not to resort to crime as a means of survival, and in turn not return to prison.  RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division took the lead in this endeavor and initiated its 2nd Chance Program whose very design took it to a whole new level.   The 2nd Chance Division has amassed such a large support base that it needed its own website to further promote its efforts.

"It's wonderful to know that our 2nd Chance Division has gained so much support over the past year that it needs its own home separate from our RIFT SUCCESS website," says COO Jennifer Rasbach.  "The difference it's making in the lives of so many ex-incarcerated individuals is fantastic, and we are proud to see it blossom and stand alone in the land of non-profits."

While CEO Junior Sanchez {LION} has been extremely busy over the past two months, we were able to catch up with him to get his take on the move.  "I am extremely happy that our 2nd Chance Division has grown to the point that it needs to stand out on its own.  The hard work, perseverance, and dedication of everyone involved is unmatched from what I've seen and this is a testament to their accomplishments."  He continues, "To know that our non-profit entity has a following so strong that it needs its own website is a tremendous joy to me because it shows just how important this movement is.  I thank everyone for their support, it is because of everyone involved, fans, supporters, and staff that we can make this happen."

Just what is the RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division?

RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division

The fact remains that recently released, ex-incarcerated individuals need employment once released in order to provide for themselves, their families, and the economy but are finding it difficult to do so.  At RIFT SUCCESS we provide work and career opportunities for those that wish to return to the workforce thus enhancing their quality of life and lowering their risk of returning to crime as a means of survival.

We are a unified coalition of professionals whose goal is to help all ex-incarcerated individuals find employment once released.  We use all our resources in order to be able to extend our reach on a global level and always welcome new and passionate professionals to our ranks.  Recidivism is an epidemic that not only affects peoples lives, but it affects the economy via unemployment.  We are not here to preach about what is or is not wrong with our Legal System, we are here to provide a solution to aid our Legal System.  Just or Unjust, the system will not change if we dont provide a method of change.  Our 2nd Chance Division does just that..we provide a method of change.

We have taken our program into a new dimension and are proactive in our approach to diminishing recidivism.  How?  We are actively involving ourselves by entering the confines of the prison system armed with positive speakers, job coaches, consultants, activists, writers, and True SUCCESS stories in order to provide the change necessary in their lives from within.  All current incarcerated individuals are provided with a certificate of completion of the program they were involved in, while this may be a small achievement to some, it is a life altering achievement for others.  Once released, they are all welcomed with open arms and provided with aid in workforce reentry. 

Check out the RIFT SUCCESS - 2nd Chance Division website at:

http://www.wix.com/riftsuccess/2ndchancedivision