Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone

fir4e.org
Community Defense, Mutual Aid, Policy & Advocacy, Healing & Wellness
California

About

Our mission at Families Inspiring Reentry and Reunification 4 Everyone is to be committed to giving formerly incarcerated people a chance to thrive and become successful. We believe that everyone deserves a second chance, and that with the right support, anyone can turn their life around. We are dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society with dignity.


Our vision is to help end mass incarceration by empowering individuals and communities directly affected by it. By amplifying their voices through advocacy, education, civic engagement, and organizing, we work to dismantle systemic barriers, promote restorative justice, and create a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive free from stigma.

Support

  • Community Defense

    At FIR4E community defense means protecting our people from systemic harm while uplifting their right to be heard, supported, and defended. We stand with individuals navigating incarceration, reentry, and unjust legal systems, offering court support, advocacy during parole hearings, and help responding to ICE holds or probation violations. But our defense work doesn’t stop there. We walk alongside parents whose children are caught in the juvenile or foster care systems, ensuring they have the tools, resources, and representation to fight for their families. Whether it’s helping a mother prepare for a dependency hearing or supporting a father trying to reunite with his kids after release, we believe that defending families is defending the community. Our work is rooted in solidarity — we don’t wait for justice to be granted; we organize to demand it.

  • Mutual Aid

    Mutual aid is at the heart of our organizing. We provide essentials like food, clothing, hygiene supplies, transportation assistance, and stipends, not as charity, but as a collective practice of care and survival. Whether it's preparing meals for the unhoused, delivering resources to families of incarcerated loved ones, or offering direct support to those reentering society, we show up for one another with consistency and compassion. Mutual aid builds trust, meets immediate needs, and affirms that our communities are capable of taking care of each other when systems fail us.

  • Policy & Advocacy

    Our commitment to change goes beyond individual support — we fight to transform the very systems that harm our communities. Through policy and advocacy, we uplift the voices of those directly impacted by incarceration to influence laws, challenge unjust practices, and demand accountability. From local campaigns to state-level reforms, we engage in legislative work that centers decarceration, reentry support, and racial justice. We know that the people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution, and we work to ensure they are at the forefront of every fight for systemic change.

  • Healing & Wellness

    We know that true liberation requires healing. Our organization creates safe, culturally rooted spaces where individuals can process trauma, rebuild self-worth, and reconnect with their humanity. Through peer-led support groups, wellness workshops, and the Thrive program, we offer pathways to emotional, spiritual, and mental restoration. We believe that healing is not a luxury but a necessity — especially for those who have endured incarceration, separation from family, and the lasting impacts of generational harm. Wellness is a form of resistance, and we nurture it in every part of our work.

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