Program Partners and Collaborators
Having conducted programs on 31 prison units, hired and trained 80+ inmate Small Business facilitators, and graduated 2,491 inmate participants from its courses, a critical element of student success is that PrisonFit works with a number of companies, agencies, and organizations. This effort and these relationships are key to delivering quality, current, relevant programming and increasing the effectiveness and impact of the program on the lives of the PrisonFit program graduates.
The PrisonFit Inmate Transformation Program recognizes with appreciation the growing group of partners and collaborators working to reduce recidivism, homelessness, and unemployment among our released PrisonFit graduates.
Content and Mentors
Content and Mentors
Content and Mentors
Through its Southern Arizona Chapter, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) provides the program with special event and workshop speakers who share their success, experience, and knowledge in specific business areas with hundreds of PrisonFit inmate students each year.
The various Arizona and Southern California chapters of SCORE also provide mentors to inmates enrolled in the Business Plan Creation course, answering their questions and reviewing business plans to improve graduate outcomes.
Content
Content and Mentors
Content and Mentors
One of the PrisonFit program’s first partners, ASBA has provided motivational mindset content for the Small Business Basics course, and offers graduates entry into their GO program upon release.
Content and Grants
Content and Mentors
Content and Grants
An organization specializing in grant-writing and non-profits in Arizona, the Arizona Business Incubator has developed content on grants for the program, and also collaborates with PF Holdings, LLC, the parent of PrisonFit, on various grant applications and initiatives.
Events
Content and Mentors
Content and Grants
A recent addition to the group of partners supporting the PrisonFit Inmate Transformation Program, a number of local Toastmasters in the Southwestern U.S. have developed and conducted on-prison and virtual workshops for inmate graduates of the Small Business Basics course. Focusing on mindset, confidence, and speaking skills, these seminars have proven popular and successful among the PrisonFit inmate graduate population.
Programs
Content and Consultation
Release Resources
PrisonFit receives extremely valuable guidance, direction, and support from the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity as the program works to provide its graduates with support and resources for their business concepts after release. Tasked with supporting Arizona start-up and small businesses, the OEO has proven insightful and creative in its suggestions and ideas for program direction.
Release Resources
Content and Consultation
Release Resources
The Community Investment Corporation of Tucson is focused on small business and other low income/minority loans and is a partner of the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The CIC has recently begun working with the PrisonFit leadership team to identify potential innovative loan and resource opportunities for the PrisonFit program’s most advanced, released graduates.
Seminars
Content and Consultation
Content and Consultation
The Chamber of Southern Arizona is a recent addition to the PrisonFit program, with Chamber representatives speaking to select statewide PrisonFit inmate course enrollees and graduates about networking, chamber services, and resources and strategies to start their small businesses.
Content and Consultation
Content and Consultation
Content and Consultation
The first partner to the program that would become the PrisonFit Inmate Transformation Program, Scottsdale-based Mdrn Wealth Management has a long-standing history of supporting the Small Business Basics course through content on budgeting and finance, as well as offering financial consultation services to select program graduates.