Almost everyone has someone in their life who has made a mistake and found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Being incarcerated has specific challenges, but for the founders of a new non-profit, the real struggles mount up following release from jail or prison, with very few local agencies or organizations possessing the skill sets or resources to help individuals post-incarceration.
Revival Reentry is a 501(c)3 Special Purpose Corporation that is currently in its development phase. The organization is dedicated to reducing recidivism, homelessness, and unemployment for justice-involved individuals in Mendocino County. According to founder Ashley Elliott, “We are in the visionary launch stage- building partnerships, seeking funding, and creating the infrastructure to bring our programs to life,” she explains.
The program aims to create a judgment-free environment that supports housing, employment, and empowerment for the justice-involved population. “We will provide clients with compassionate integration back into society, while being aware of their past and present barriers. Our vision is to reduce the recidivism, unemployment, and homelessness rates in Mendocino County,” Elliott continues.
Elliott’s lived experience was what galvanized her dream to create the organization. Growing up in and around the juvenile justice system, Elliott turned her life around at the age of 21, crediting some of her experience within the system for her success. “Giving back to those in the system gave me great purpose,” she continues. She completed the Administration of Justice program at Mendocino College, interned at the Mendocino County Probation Department, and volunteered at Juvenile Hall, bringing 12-step programs to the inmates. From there,
Elliott continued her education, receiving her BA in Criminology/Criminal Justice from Sonoma State.
“At that time, I really discovered how broken the system was.” She decided to focus on one aspect of the criminal justice system: reentry. “Every time I wrote a paper or did a survey, I selected reentry as a topic.”
While interning at the jail, Elliott was mentored by William Feather. “I worked for a local non-profit following graduation, and discovered the same gaps and issues for people coming out of incarceration.” From there, Elliot became a discharge planner at the jail, employed by NaphCare. “I began to see the entire system from the inside out.” One best-case scenario for inmates was to release them from jail to a rehab program, but not every inmate qualifies for rehab. “Following rehab, where would they go? They’d be cast out from their safe bubble with no support system. From paid transportation to rehabilitation, to medical care, documentation, housing, and therapeutic services, our most vulnerable populations are often released with limited instructions and finite resources. Thank goodness, Ukiah Recovery Center opened its Sober Living Environment. That program will also create great change,” she continues.
Elliott returned to school, receiving her Masters in Non-Profit Administration. “I had to make this happen. There was actually a huge support system out there that believed in this mission and believed in me.” Revival Reentry received its non-profit status in June 2025. Elliot built a strong board that shares her passion for developing a strong, successful reentry program in Mendocino County.
Board member Kristin Schmith is focusing on community connections. “My journey to Revival Reentry involved earlier struggles with addiction. It wasn’t until I got put into the system that I was able to stop using and create personal accountability.” Years ago, when she was arrested and booked, “They didn’t release me with anything. I had no support and nowhere to go, so like many people, I went back to where I came from.” Now, Schmith is keenly aware of the gaps in the reentry system. “I worked at a local non-profit that served marginalized communities. One of the biggest gaps was trying to assist people who had nowhere to go.”
“Seeing everything Ashley went through and how far she’s come inspired me to help others,” says Karina Guzman, Board Secretary. She is a graduate in criminal justice with two years of hands-on training with the Sacramento Police Department as a student trainee and four years of experience working at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. Guzman’s expertise working with justice-involved individuals led to a shift in career goals from traditional law enforcement to a focus on rehabilitation, advocacy, and systematic reform.
Brooke Barrett holds Associate’s degrees in Business Accounting and Business Management, with hands-on experience in nonprofit and corporate bookkeeping. As Board Treasurer, she keeps the agency’s finances organized and transparent. Her passion for reentry work comes from personal experience. Having spent years without guidance, she’s committed to helping others navigate life “on the outside” with confidence and support. “I believe in second chances, and providing the kind of steady presence I once needed,” she explains.
Blanca Pena is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist dedicated to serving marginalized communities through trauma-informed, culturally responsive care. She holds a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology and dual undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, which places her work at the intersection of mental health and social justice.
Pena began her career in community mental health, working with justice-involved youth as part of a Wraparound team. There, she focused on family stabilization, reducing recidivism, and fostering resilience in adolescents impacted by systemic barriers.
Her clinical work later extended to correctional settings, including Maguire Correctional Facility and Mendocino County Jail, where she provided crisis intervention, suicide risk evaluations, and therapy for individuals facing acute psychiatric needs, deepening her understanding of the mental health disparities within incarcerated populations and strengthening her commitment to equity in care.
Pena is utilizing her board position to help advocate for underserved individuals, aiming to reduce stigma and promote access to quality mental health services. “My work centers on dignity, compassion, and the belief that all people deserve support and healing,” she notes.
“Our community does not have the same type of reentry program we are building- offering housing, employment, and on-the-job training,” Elliott explains. Acquiring housing is one of the foundational challenges for individuals reentering society, and Elliott wished to emphasize the agency’s position on housing. “We are not providing free housing to anyone. Clients will pay rent,” Elliott emphasizes. “We understand housing issues are huge, so we will work on helping people develop employment and financial literacy skills that will lead to long-term housing and employment. We are not coddling people. We are giving them a leg up to create their own societal independence, instead of continued dependence on outside resources.”
Mendocino County, according to Elliott, has a staggering rate of recidivism. “Our recidivism rate is 79%, compared to 39.1% statewide, which marks the lowest level in a decade. The rates are lower (18.3% to 26.5%) for participants in community reentry programs. One reason our area ranks so high is our rural location. Jail funding for programs to help with reentry is often funded by the inmate welfare fund, which receives support from inmate phone calls and the commissary. With about 300 inmates incarcerated at any given time, and many of those individuals being indigent, our jail doesn’t receive a lot of funds to bring in programs. They are doing the best they can with the funding available, ” she continues.
“It costs a staggering amount of money to incarcerate people,” says Elliott. “And when you see the same people returning to jail over and over again, programs like ours start to make a lot more sense.” She cites one case study that typifies what can happen to an inmate in the process of reentry.
“I knew a woman who had undiagnosed autism and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. During that time of the month, she committed a crime. She had never been to jail and was sent to a Los Angeles prison for three years. Once it was time for her release, she was given a check for $200 and had 24 hours to get to Ukiah to meet with her parole officer. She had no phone, no bus schedule, or even directions to a bus stop. In her case, she was lucky. Her dad drove from out of state and picked her up. Everyone has a story,” she continues. “Just a little bit of support can provide individuals with a different starting line toward societal success instead of getting trapped in embedded systemic barriers.”
Revival Reentry has an exciting plan to get its organization off the ground.
“We intend to open a Thrift Store, which will provide income and create a safe, supervised work site for clients. Our goal is to work with community-based agencies to help clients complete transitional employment programs.” She has spoken to both Career Point and the Department of Rehabilitation, which have workforce programs that clients may qualify for. “Client wages may be subsidized for up to 6 months while in a workforce development program,” Elliott continues. The thrift store will utilize social media for some of its sales, and the organization is already accepting thriftable goods.
The program will provide clients with financial literacy courses, and Redwood Credit Union has expressed interest in participating. “Clients will exit our program having built up their credit, having enhanced life skills, employment, and financial literacy skills, which will help prepare them to acquire housing and long-term employment.” Peer support, case management, and individual counseling will be offered. The organization will be applying for Medi-Cal Enhanced Care Management Services, and they are looking into funding to pay for client beds.
Next Spring, the organization plans to have an old-fashioned fundraising dinner and auction, and is hopeful that Mayor Tom Allman will act as auctioneer. “We will be having a special event which will feature a number of folks whose lives have been impacted by reentry support and challenges.” Music will be provided by local songwriter and native Ukiahan Nevaeh Travis, who exemplifies what can happen when someone is provided support during times of addiction and personal crisis.
The board is in the process of preparing to open the thrift store. “This is one of the most challenging parts of what we’re doing. Both financial donations and donations of goods are being accepted. Our organization is too new to qualify for grants, so we are reaching out to the community for support during our opening phase. We want to acknowledge the generosity of Peterson Law Office and Anna Roseberry, who are our kickoff top-tier sponsors, along with all other sponsorships that can be found on our website,” says Elliott. “We are hoping the community will resonate with our mission and help us to get this project successfully off the ground.”
The program will have requirements for clients with substance use issues to address those concerns, but will not designate a specific recovery program. “Some people resonate with 12-Step programs, some with church. Others love the Red Road Recovery program. There are many systems out there. We are allowing clients to choose the system that works for them,” Elliott explains.
“In 2023, $10 billion dollars was spent in the United States on violations of probation or parole issues. Of that $10 billion, $3 billion dollars was spent on technical violations,” says Elliott. According to the Council of State Governments Justice Center, lack of access to communications, transportation, financial resources, and support plays a role in the majority of violations. And violations are expensive. “It costs so much money to violate people. It is an investment in our community and economy to create tax-paying employees, instead of tax-depleting inmates,” Elliott notes. In 2023, nearly 200,000 people were admitted to prison for violating probation or parole, including over 110,000 people reincarcerated for technical violations such as missing an appointment. Yet people on probation or parole accounted for less than 2% of all arrests in 2023.
In Mendocino County, housing an inmate averages out at approximately $100,000 per person. “We want to make it easier to abide by probation guidelines. We want to support our reentering population to become independent members of society, not continuing to drain much-needed funds from our prison systems, hospitals, and social support agencies. Programs like ours are shown to put more money back into our tax system by reducing repeated incarcerations.”
Elliott’s long-term plans are inspiring. “We want to have the ability to offer vocational training, and down the road, maybe have an apartment building specifically for our clients,” she concludes.
To learn more about Revival Recovery, or to make a cash donation or to schedule a pickup for the Thrift Store, visit www.revivalreentry.org or phone (707) 376-5086.
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