The Why
The U.S. has a problem with mass incarceration.
In the United States, over two million people are incarcerated, representing 25% of the world’s prison population despite having only 5% of the global population. This system costs American taxpayers over $80 billion annually.But recidivism is an even larger problem.
Alarmingly, 67.8% of released prisoners are rearrested within three years, often due to challenges like unemployment and poverty—the strongest predictors of recidivism.FreeWorld is dedicated to breaking this cycle.
We empower formerly incarcerated individuals to secure living-wage jobs, fostering financial independence and mobility. Our comprehensive program offers a rapid pathway to financial stability through CDL trucking training, job placement services, and a supportive community, ensuring participants thrive on their own terms. With newfound stability, prison becomes a distant memory for our graduates.
Our Story
FreeWorld was founded in 2020. Since then, we've scaled to become one of the largest reentry workforce providers in the nation. From our humble beginnings, serving just 25 returning citizens in the Bay Area of California, we've grown to serve thousands of returning citizens per year across 8 states.
FreeWorld's program has created $110M+ in estimated graduate earnings, $45M+ in marginal recidivism cost savings, maintained a less than 5% recidivism rate, and forever changed the lives of over 2,300 CDL-A graduates.
For every dollar that FreeWorld spends, we create more than $23 in social impact and $8 in government impact via increased tax revenues and reduced incarceration, SNAP, and Medicaid costs.
The Poverty-Recidivism Cycle
25%
formerly incarcerated people without a high school diploma, GED, or college degree
27%
unemployment rate among formerly incarcerated people
Poverty
the strongest predictor for recidivism [1]
67.8%
prisoners rearrested within three years of releasee
49%
have 2 or more arrests per year who are unemployed
~18-20
daily requirements for people on probation (or face rearrest)e
