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Presented at the WIOA Illinois Workforce Summit 2026, “Coordinating Federal Reentry and Workforce Systems in Illinois” brought together workforce, reentry, education, and community partners for a candid conversation about what coordinated reentry support looks like in practice. During the session, Principal Investigator Courtney Breckenridge Carver highlighted the Illinois PROWD model (Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development), which connects pre-release education and workforce preparation in federal facilities with structured post-release employment and support pathways across Illinois.
The presentation focused heavily on coordination between systems, particularly the role of Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs), warm handoffs, and cross-system case management in supporting successful transitions from incarceration to employment. Returning Resident Advocate Natalie Whitman shared frontline perspectives on participant engagement and stabilization during reentry, while guest speaker Elvin Saldana provided powerful insight into participant experiences and patterns emerging across the program. His segment resonated strongly with attendees and generated significant emotional response from the audience.
The session also featured participant and employer perspectives through video testimonials, including an especially impactful video from PROWD participant Amanda W., whose story highlighted the importance of early engagement, consistent advocacy, and workforce connection during reentry. The presentation concluded with a walkthrough of Digiscape, a digital learning platform integrated into PROWD services to support engagement and digital literacy across program stages.
The discussion reinforced a central theme of the project: successful reentry is not simply about providing services, but about building intentional coordination across systems so participants are not lost during critical transition points.