News – Inside Out Reentry Community

Posted: May 29, 2025 by InsideOut Reentry

Inside Out May Update Is Here! 🌸 Events, News, and More

Inside Out Reentry Community has been busy the past few months and we’re so grateful for our supporters and volunteers who help us further our mission of supporting those returning after incarceration.Acceptance Commitment Group – Skills Building

In March and April we facilitated a six-week ACT (Acceptance Commitment Training) Group. This group is focused on skill-building to cope with stressors, aid in emotional regulation, and build awareness to reach goals. This group was a big success with 9 graduates of the program who all agreed the group helped them discover what is important to them, and to take action to pursue the important things in their life. One of the graduates said the following about the group:

We are looking forward to hosting this group again in the Fall!

Community Night: A Chance for Members to Connect and Unwind

We had a blast playing bingo and card games together in March at our quarterly Game Night! Thank you to our friends from New Song Episcopal Church, Coralville for providing us with space to play and a delicious meal!

Join Us at Our Spring Concert Fundraiser!

Our Spring Concert is just around the corner! Join us June 1st to celebrate 10 years of service to those returning to the community after incarceration. This family friendly event will have live music by the Beaker Brothers Band, raffle prizes, and snacks!

Not going to make it? You can still support our programs by donating!

Venmo donate: @insideoutreentry

Help Us Commemorate 10 Years of Service to the Community!

Our mission: to support people involved in the criminal legal system in changing from the inside out, and to educate the public, in order to promote healing, restore relationships and achieve success in the community.

Last Updated: February 19, 2025 by InsideOut Reentry

Creativity behind bars: “Art from the Inside Out” shines light on incarcerated artists in Iowa

Creativity can sprout anywhere.

Impressionist drawings of lush landscapes, water-colored paintings infused with Kool-Aid and coffee, and intricate and detailed portraits of celebrities are just a few of the dozens of art pieces that will be displayed at Public Space One’s “Art from the Inside Out” exhibition.

The yearly offering from Inside Out Reentry Community (IO) is a rare glimpse into the creativity and resilience of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals across the state of Iowa. Inside Out Reentry Community is a 5013(c) nonprofit organization that helps people returning to Johnson County after incarceration. They work with the individuals to develop reentry plans that promote healing, restore relationships, and achieve success after their release.

Read more at The Press Citizen. Written by Jessica Rish, February 5, 2025.

Last Updated: February 19, 2025 by InsideOut Reentry

Review: ‘Art is survival’ for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated craftsmen behind this PS1 exhibition

Community members packed the Feb. 7 opening reception of the “Art from the Inside Out” exhibition at Public Space One’s Close House, giving me the feel-goods. I saw a woman I used to work with and met her mother; I saw friends and met their grandchild. Artists and their families were there, and it was the most class-diverse art show I’ve attended. It felt divine because I saw the Iowa City community as it is, not what it is assumed to be.

This is the show’s third year at the location, which spreads over three galleries featuring paintings, prints, works on paper, a few ceramics and a multimedia installation.

Read more at The Little Village. Written by Andrea Truitt, Feb 13, 2025.

Last Updated: February 19, 2025 by InsideOut Reentry

Simulation helps community members understand challenges after incarceration

Community members, educators, employers and others are encouraged to learn how individuals, after serving prison time, face a multiple challenges reentering the community and finding employment during a reentry simulation event held later this month.

Inside Out Reentry Community, an Iowa City nonprofit, is holding the event from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 19, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 140 Gathering Place Lane, in Iowa City. During the first 90 minutes of the event, participants will be given a fictional identity of an individual attempting to reenter the community following a criminal conviction.

Participants will navigate through “multiple difficult tasks” and gain insight into the hardships that come with parole. Following the stimulation, organization officials will have a 30-minute debrief and panel discussion, featuring firsthand experiences and stories of individuals who have gone through this process.

This is a public outreach event for the community and is free for participants. However, space is limited and an RSVP is necessary.

Read more at The Gazette. Written by Trish Mehaffey, April 3, 2024.