Former inmate helps incarcerated Idahoans reenter society

Posted by Arica Deslauriers on Sunday, May 19, 2024

A former inmate is using his experience in the system to help change the lives of others.

He is teaming up with Ten Mile Christian church to host a conference in June to discuss hope and healing and provide community resources to the families of the currently and formerly incarcerated citizens of Idaho.

Now a husband and father of four, Travis Richey is using his incarcerated experience to help reform prisons across the United States.

"When I exited successfully to reentry, I realized there were so many barriers that existed that I didn't know of beforehand and to be honest I didn't have," Richey said.

After his release, Richey built a company called Accomplished Ventures to help the incarcerated.

"The support that they need is what I created with Accomplished Ventures, real tangible steps to take them from where they are to where they know they need to be," Richey said.

Richey travels to prisons all over the country to implement programs addressing communication, financial literacy, vocational training, and more.

"We teach these incarcerated citizens on a daily basis to take advantage of these opportunities, build up your resume, invest in yourself while your incarcerated, and when you come out the reentry is going to be so much simpler," Richey said.

In June Ten Mile Christian and Richey are partnering together to host a conference called 'Convicted'

"We are going to have people who were formally incarcerated and their success stories," Richey said.

The conference, open to the public, will also include break-out rooms where experts will share tools to help with mental health, parenting, and employment.

"St. Lukes is going to be here with their children's medical bus giving free medical care, there is going to be a number of housing providers," Richey said.

Richey says he hopes people will realize second chances are possible.

"Oftentimes we forget. We believe that just because you are behind prison walls you have to have limits. But we know the worst prisons in society are not made of concrete and steel they are usually the limitations that you have between your ears," Richey said.

The conference is Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ten Mile Christian Church in Meridian.

To sign up for the conference click HERE.

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