Ladies Empowerment & Action Program

In Florida, an estimated 125,000 women are released from prison and jails each year. Women experience exacerbated issues reentering society for a number of reasons, including little to no access to in-prison programming. Historically, prison reentry programming has been tailored to men. In Florida, only 14% of women have access to programming. This is compounded by the fact that over 80% of incarcerated women suffer the untreated effects of childhood sexual trauma, domestic violence and addiction as well as trauma experienced while incarcerated. Following incarceration and due to the society-driven label of "felon," these women are excluded from safety net programs and options for work. Furthermore, the majority of formerly incarcerated women are mothers of children under the age of 18 and have sole custody. These women are often the primary caregivers for their children.

LEAP is the only provider in the state of Florida that provides a prison to community continuum of care that includes:

In-Prison Education: Programming includes entrepreneurial training, workforce readiness, financial literacy, life skills, post-release planning, and trauma-informed addiction. LEAP graduates two classes and an average of 50 women per year.

Employment and Job Training after Release: Post-release, LEAP provides a paid retail training internship at our social enterprise Dragonfly Thrift Boutique, located in Little Havana. This program not only provides a crucial first paycheck but also critical job training and lessons in invaluable soft skills the women can take with them once they leave our program. In response to the pandemic, LEAP launched a 12-week virtual entrepreneurship course available for free to any woman who has ever experienced incarceration.

Housing: LEAP now has two transition houses in Miami which provide housing for up to 12 graduates. Residents of the LEAP House receive wrap-around services that include addiction programming and medical care.

Miami-Dade Women's Reentry Hub (the "HUB"): The HUB serves as a centralized location where women with a history of incarceration in South Florida can access a wide array of reentry services. Directed by a graduate of LEAP's prison program, the HUB offers case management, social services, and classes that often begin in jail and continue post-release. Since launching as a pilot program in December 2022, the HUB has served over 500 women.

Jail Program: In the jail, peer-facilitated classes are offered in both English and Spanish, focusing on PTSD, trauma and addiction. After release, women can continue receiving support through the HUB, ensuring a smooth transition back into the community. Launched as a pilot program pursuant to a Federal grant in December 2022, LEAP has already served more than 500 women at the Miami-Dade jail.

Last year, LEAP increased the number of women served from 50 to over 500 per year by doubling classes at the prison, starting classes for women at the Miami-Dade jail, and launching the Women's Reentry Hub. By agreement with Florida Corrections, EVERY woman incarcerated within the state women’s prisons who are within a year of release is given the opportunity to apply to our programs. With our recently launched Women’s Reentry Hub, LEAP is now able to offer post-release supportive services, previously reserved for graduates of our in-prison program, to ANY woman in Miami-Dade who has experienced incarceration ANYTIME in her past. We envision a future where every justice-involved woman, committed to change, has the tools and support needed to achieve her full potential.